ClutchPoints
Week 4 was a mixed bag for the NFC West, with the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers taking losses while the Seattle Seahawks narrowly eked out a win on Thursday Night Football, and the Los Angeles Rams made a statement against the then-undefeated Indianapolis Colts.
With another NFC West showdown officially on the books for Week 5, with the Rams and 49ers looking to decide which team will hold sole possession of first place – at least for a few days – all eyes will be on SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, for an early-season showdown with serious playoff implications.
After ripping off three early wins despite surfing injuries all over the field, including to Brock Purdy, Jauan Jennings, and a season-ending ACL tear for Nick Bosa, the 49ers’ luck finally ran out in Week 4, when an angry Liam Coen made it his mission to take down San Fran after being called out earlier in the week by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
Falling behind early, the 49ers had a chance to get where they wanted to be with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, but when the Kyle Shanahan needed him to step up most, disaster struck Purdy when he was blasted by former 49ers first round pick Arik Armstead, who forced a fumble on the sack and gave the ball back to Jacksonville’s offense to close out the game.
While some may look at Week 4 as an abration, some unlucky breaks that happen in NFL games, the 49ers will have to bounce back in a hurry as they travel down the Golden Coast to Los Angeles, where they will face off against a Rams team that just made waves by taking down a Colts team that didn’t punt in Weeks 1-3.
Will the 49ers be able to overcome their injuries and issues to get back into the win column in Week 5, or will they continue to snowball, earning their first losing streak of the season?
While Brock Purdy was able to make it back to the field for Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, ruining a chance for Max Jones to play against his former team, the 49ers don’t have a guaranteed starter written in pen for Week 5, with their $265 million QB having aggravated his toe injury and having his immediate future laced up in the air.
Fortunately, whether Purdy or Jones ends up playing in Week 5, the 49ers have found incredible success with both quarterbacks under center, with San Francisco passing for at least 260 yards in all four games so far this season, regardless of who started each game.
Despite being one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, Purdy hasn’t quite gotten comfortable due to his toe injury, coming in and out of the lineup in September while looking uncomfortable at times because of his ailment. And yet, his 293 yards per game currently leads the NFL,...
