Niners Nation
49ers QB Brock Purdy’s toe injury still an issue, Week 5 availability up in air
“Shanahan said Pearsall may have sustained an injury to the posterior-cruciate ligament, which is not considered a condition that would keep him out for significant time. 49ers ready to move on after all signs pointed to a loss against the Jaguars (paywall)
“Was it a trap game? After all, the 49ers were 3-0 entering Sunday and have the rival Los Angeles Rams coming up on national television on Thursday night.
“Not at all,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “The fact that we were even still in that game, down five with an opportunity to win it … you would’ve thought that we’d be getting blown out by 20 or 30.”
Kawakami: When Brock Purdy stumbles, the 49ers lose — it’s undeniable now (paywall) “When I asked McCaffrey about that scene, and his feelings about Purdy’s emotions right now in general, his answer was (for him) uncharacteristically detailed and philosophical.
“I’ve never been part of an undefeated team; I think one team has,” McCaffrey said. “You lose in this league. When you lose, I think it’s about how you respond. Everybody in that locker room’s lost before. Everyone in the locker room has maybe not played their best.
“As a team, we’ve not played our best. The beauty is we play in four days.”
Of course, this isn’t just on Purdy. The 49ers need more from the running game, which hasn’t broken loose this season. They need to try to manufacture a pass rush without Bosa — they had zero sacks and zero QB hits on Sunday.
And they need the special teams not to make big mistakes every week, if that’s possible.
But it all comes back to a QB who can carry them this season and for many seasons. It all points to Purdy, who let us all know he understands and accepts the responsibility when he punched at the ground on Sunday. Then he got up, walked to the sideline, and most definitely started thinking about the next chance.“
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Brock Purdy, 49ers receivers out of sync, injuries finally take toll in loss to Jaguars (paywall)
“I’m not really sure,” Purdy said of his misfires. “I think getting back out there and throwing and getting into a rhythm — being down two weeks — and everything (contributed).”
Purdy certainly began the contest looking like someone who hadn’t played in weeks.
His first throw was tantamount to a layup, a play-action fake to the right that sprung fullback Kyle Juszczyk wide open to the left. Purdy’s throw, however, was so short that Juszczyk had to drop to the ground to secure it before popping up and running for an 18-yard gain. His second throw, to Christian McCaffrey, was just as off target.
Purdy had some sharp passes, too, including a 23-yard crossing route to tight end Jake Tonges, a nicely executed screen to Tonges for a 21-yard touchdown that cut the Jaguars’ lead...
