San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy rolled out to his left and then released his pass right, directing it toward a trafficky middle of the end zone.
The ball sailed above tight end George Kittle’s head, inches from not one but two Jacksonville Jaguars defenders.
Niners receiver Brandon Aiyuk jumped and caught the ball for a touchdown as San Francisco took an early lead less than four minutes into the game.
The Jaguars would never even match that point total, the Niners steadily pulling away en route to a 34-3 win.
But the jubilation from the ultimately game-sealing early touchdown was muted.
“I can say this because he played his ass off … but that was one of his worst decisions [Purdy]’s made since he’s been here,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “It took me a while to get over it. I thanked him for the touchdown. But that was not a good decision.”
Purdy himself admitted he was “not necessarily proud of that play,” while Kittle described the cross-body risk as “one of the biggest no-nos — except when it works.”
The paradox underscores the lens through which the 49ers see their quarterback’s past month of play.
Production? Purdy was averaging 254 passing yards per game during the three-game losing streak that the team snapped Sunday, not too far off from the 296 he tossed against the Jaguars. His teammates appreciate his confidence to “sit in the pocket and give you the opportunity,” Kittle said, while Shanahan appreciates his quarterback “letting it rip.”
Sunday was, finally, another day to smile for Brock Purdy and the 49ers. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) (Megan Briggs via Getty Images)
But the same fear that washed over Shanahan during the Niners’ first possession Sunday was the fear that hurt the 49ers during their losing streak: turnovers.
Purdy is just one of several reasons why this contest turned out differently.
Brock Purdy’s big day was a key ingredient to 49ers’ rebound, but not the only…
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Publish date : 2023-11-13 03:06:26
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