49ers’ Mac Jones says what appears obvious: He, not Brock Purdy, will start vs. Rams (paywall) “Purdy did not carry an injury designation into Sunday’s game, but he wore a steel plate in his right cleat
to protect his big toe. Purdy was asked whether, in hindsight, he should have missed a third straight start instead of returning to play.
“I was ready to go. I felt pretty good,” Purdy said. “For me to go out and execute on offense and go through reads and throw the ball throughout the week at practice, I felt great. And so I had a lot of confidence going into the game thinking I was going to be good. That was our decision.”
49ers game review: Shanahan loves to run. Here’s why the Niners can’t (paywall)
“Without Kittle and Aiyuk, defenses aren’t as threatened by the 49ers’ passing attack and can focus on McCaffrey. Meanwhile, McCaffrey hasn’t benefited from having Kittle, one of the league’s best blocking tight ends, and Aiyuk, the 49ers’ best blocking wideout. In addition, right guard Dominick Puni is enduring a sophomore slump that could be tied to a preseason knee injury and fill-n left guard Connor Colby is, well, a rookie seventh-round pick.
Shanahan touched on those areas when asked about the inert attack. And he seemingly didn’t absolve McCaffrey.
“We’ve got to break a big one,” Shanahan said. “And that entails everyone. That includes the play calls, that includes guys blocking on the perimeter, includes guys blocking inside, and it includes our runners creating.”
49ers’ guard Connor Colby on early call to action: ‘I’m not supposed to be here’ (paywall)
“Shanahan did not have an answer. Colby then played all 66 offensive snaps.
“It wasn’t perfect,” Shanahan said. “There was definitely protection, there was a few that he missed. But overall, I thought he played good enough for us to win and just earned a lot of respect with the guys actually being able to play with what happened to him earlier in the week.”
Colby was listed as questionable again ahead of the Jaguars game, and again he played every snap. His run blocking — a strength of his coming out of Iowa, which runs zone schemes similar to Shanahan’s — was the best it’s been, with a 71.9 grade higher than both center Jake Brendel and right guard Dominick Puni.“
Brock Purdy still maintaining ‘chip on shoulder’ after lucrative 49ers contract
“Purdy said nothing changes with his daily approach and how he interacts with his teammates. His authenticity, he said, is an attribute that serves him well in his position of leadership.
Still, Purdy acknowledges he expects more of himself.
“Obviously, the organization has put their faith and trust in me by paying me and making me the highest paid player on the team,” Purdy said. “And I’m so extremely appreciative of that. But with that comes some weight of, hey, let’s continue to move this whole thing along and go chase a championship.
“So, obviously, I want to elevate everybody else’s game around me and help continue to push the ball forward.”
Purdy describes his idea of being a “servant leader,” which focuses on the growth and empowerment of those around him.
49ers overreactions: Does struggling run game need more Brian Robinson Jr.?
“At this point, it is difficult to not draw connections to the 49ers’ injury-ravaged season of 2020.
However, there are some notable differences, too.
The 49ers began that season with a division loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Already this season, the 49ers have two victories over NFC West teams as they enter their Week 5 game against the Rams.
Of course, the 49ers lost Bosa early in the 2020 season to a torn ACL. That season, the 49ers could not compensate for his loss. Kerry Hyder led the 49ers with 8.5 sacks, followed by Arik Armstead’s 3.5
Will the 49ers have a player reach eight sacks this season without Bosa?
And, yes, the 49ers’ multi-layered meltdowns against the Jaguars did bring back some memories of that Week 5 loss to Miami. The difference was that the 49ers managed to stay in this game against Jacksonville. That loss to Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins was a 43-17 shellacking.“
Baldy delivers strong message to 49ers amid pass rush struggles
“If I was John Lynch, I would be calling Cincinnati. I’d be calling Cincinnati to see what I could do. I wouldn’t be sitting pat with what I have on that team right now. I would be combing this whole league. If you’re serious about winning this division, with the injuries that they’ve had—today’s Tuesday—I’d have five players in there, working them out, right now. They need reinforcements.”
Shanahan, Saleh, Purdy, Jones preview 49ers-Rams Week 5 matchup
“Here’s everything they said.”
