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The San Francisco 49ers have little to complain about after a 34-3 win, but head coach Kyle Shanahan still called out quarterback Brock Purdy. Of course, he did it with a sense of pride due to his overall performance, but the rout over the Jacksonville Jaguars could’ve started much differently for the 49ers.
On their opening drive, the 49ers raced down the field for a score. The drive only took four plays, capped off by Purdy finding Brandon Aiyuk in the endzone. According to Shanahan, the throw should’ve never been made.
“Honestly one of, I can say this because he played his as…played well. That was like one of his worst decisions he’s made since he’s been here. It took me a while to get over it. I thanked him for the touchdown. But that was not a good decision,” Shanahan said to reporters on November 12.
This view of Brock Purdy’s touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk 😍
🎥: @49ers
All’s well that ends well, though, as Purdy threw for three touchdowns, 296 yards and did not turn the ball over once. It was the exact kind of bounce-back performance that San Francisco needed after three straight losses.
George Kittle Breaks Down Brock Purdy
After Shanahan’s comments, 49ers tight end George Kittle spoke on Brock Purdy and that first touchdown. The throwback across the endzone was the primary issue, but it worked out in the end as the ball went over Kittle and into Brandon Aiyuk’s hands.
“It’s one of the biggest no-no’s, except when it works. It’s funny too, cause Brandon’s running a corner, and I’m running a cross, and we’re running across the field, Brock’s nodding his head for us to go back. I was talking to Brock, and he said, ‘I was trying to sell it to the defense. I wanted you guys to keep running.’”
Kittle then went on to explain that he could only “hope” that there was someone like Aiyuk nearby to catch the ball after it went over his head. Sure enough, the receiver was there and the 49ers were off to the races.
The San Francisco TE would go on to score himself, taking a 66-yard pass at the start of the third quarter. Whatever hope the Jaguars had at that point was vaporized. On the back of Kittle, the 49ers stretched to a 20-3 lead and never looked back.
49ers, Brock Purdy ‘Get Right’
After demolishing the Dallas Cowboys 42-10, few would’ve predicted three consecutive losses for the Niners. Purdy threw five interceptions over that span, after throwing four scores and zero INTs against Dallas.
While he didn’t hit the 4 TD mark against Jacksonville, this performance was arguably just as good. His 148.9 passer rating is the highest of any game of his NFL career. It’s also worth mentioning that the Jags had picked off every QB they’ve played this season coming into Week 10.
On the back of Purdy, the 49ers made a statement win. While running back Christian McCaffery certainly made his own impact, San Francisco’s QB showed that he has the ability to take over a game and consistently find guys like Kittle, Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
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49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Calls Out Brock Purdy Play: ‘One of His Worst Decisions’