Kyle Shanahan, Mac Jones share final updates ahead of 49ers-Saints Week 2 matchup
“Here’s everything they said.”
Five 49ers you should watch vs. Saints in Week 2 matchup of 2025 NFL season
“There will be a lot on Winters’ plate on Sunday. He will be challenged against veteran running back Alvin Kamara, both in the run game and covering him out of the backfield.”
49ers vs. Saints: The Standard’s 5 fast predictions (paywall) “The 49ers want this number to get as high as possible — Rattler threw it 46
times in last Sunday’s loss to Arizona and averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt. If he throws it 40 or more this Sunday, there could be interceptions. Sacks. Fumbles. Three-and-outs. And everything the 49ers need to make sure their QB doesn’t need to throw it much at all.“
Kyle Shanahan shares hilarious Jake Tonges story after TE’s first NFL catch
“But he also pointed out how Tonges completely busted his assignment on a play that provided the 49ers with a 2-yard gain.
“We had a middle screen put in for (George) Kittle that we thought was going to be a hell of a play,” Shanahan said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan.” “We repped it with Kittle all week, and then he got hurt. I didn’t know if I could call it.”
Shanahan said during the course of the game, he kept bringing it up to 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury. He asked if Tonges would be able to execute the play despite not running it in practice all week. Fleury assured Shanahan that Tonges was ready for the middle screen……“He didn’t run to the middle on the middle screen,” Shanahan said of Tonges. “He just backed straight up, totally busted the route. But it was his first NFL catch. I really believe if he would have done right, he would have gotten about 20 (yards).
“And if you are going to mess up a middle screen, you would think you would still at least run to the middle, but he didn’t. So I messed with him with a lot of sarcasm.”
Brock Purdy out for 49ers-Saints; Jauan Jennings, Trent Williams questionable
“The 49ers would likely turn to Spencer Burford to start at left tackle if Williams, an 11-time Pro Bowl player, is unavailable.”
Mac Jones feeling ‘confident, prepared’ heading into 49ers debut vs. Saints
““I feel good. Obviously, was fortunate to get a lot of reps in OTAs and training camp, which they do a great job here giving everybody reps,” Jones told reporters Friday. “So, it’s in the front side of the season here, and I feel prepared. I’ve been working for this and fortunate to have started, I think this is my 50th game in the NFL, so I have my routine down, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity….. With this offense, you obviously want to find your rhythm, stick with your footwork and your timing, the guys rotate in and out, but you’re getting good work. Whether that’s OTAs or training camp. So definitely feel confident with the guys we have, the line, the backs and everybody. Obviously a great defense, so looking forward to the challenge.”
The Jake Moody blunder was no anomaly: Why highly drafted kickers fail so often (paywall)
“The first is mechanical. He said that, like a lot of young kickers, Moody has flexible hips, which means he sometimes over-rotates on his attempts. When Moody misses, he tends to pull the ball.
“Older kickers — maybe because they’re not as flexible — have a more compact swing,” he said.
He also examines how they react to a miss. He said kickers have to convey a sense that they’re unbothered, that they’ll nail the next attempt.
“And with Jake, I think we all teetered on, ‘Ooh, do I need to be worried?’” Nedney said. “When Jake missed, he didn’t have a demeanor of, ‘It’s OK, I’ve got it.’”….Another challenge for young kickers is that only a handful of teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles, employ a full-time kicking specialist. The 49ers’ special teams coaches — coordinator Brant Boyer, assistant Colt Anderson and quality control coach Ronald Blair III — are former defensive players, with Boyer and Anderson having excelled at kick coverage during their NFL careers.
During the offseason, kickers can work with a specialist like Kornblue. But once training camps start, they’re on their own.
“To me, it’s one of the most baffling things that still exists in the NFL,” Kornblue said. “In the NFL, it’s unlimited resources, it’s unlimited coaching staffs. They should be able to put somebody in place there.”
Why this surgeon thinks 49ers QB Brock Purdy could return early from toe injury (paywall)
“The good news for 49ers fans: Dr. Kenneth Jung, a foot and ankle surgeon who consults with the Los Angeles Rams, sees Purdy’s footwear and gait as significant when it comes to his injury. Purdy reportedly could miss 2-5 weeks with a “variant” of turf toe, but there are signs, such as the absence of a walking boot on his injured foot four days after he was hurt, that he could return on the quicker end of that timeline….Still, even lower-grade toe injuries can be problematic. Purdy is dealing with a toe sprain that Shanahan said is “halfway between the side and the bottom” of his toe, which is why it’s being termed a “variant” of turf toe. Standard turf toe injuries involve the plantar plate, which includes ligaments and tendons on the underside of the big toe. The variant could mean Purdy is dealing with slightly less discomfort because the ligaments on the side of the toe aren’t subject to as much direct stress and pounding.“
