ENGLEWOOD — The 49ers found a way to leave Los Angeles with a 30-23 win over the Rams, but there were certainly pass attempts that quarterback Brock Purdy would like to have back.
Uncharacteristically, the sophomore play-caller took down wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Juwan Jennings, each on separate occasions Sunday. All three errors will be on Purdy’s mind for a while.
“Yes, probably a lot,” Purdy said after the game. “I just knocked them down. One for BA, one for Deebo and then JJ in third. That’s on me. I’ve got to be better and hit them hard and not drop them. Easy like that.”
Most importantly, Purdy and the 49ers’ offense found ways to put points on the board and secure an important win in the NFC West division. Purdy continues to build chemistry with his receivers, however, and will be on the agenda for the short week of practice before a Week 3 matchup with the New York Giants on “Thursday Night Football.”
“We have four days to get ready for the next game,” Purdy said. “In my eyes, there were a couple of chances I missed. Deep ball and stuff. But we found a way to win.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan had a diplomatic response to the quarterback’s miss. Although he would have preferred to see Purdy connect with his receivers, he understood why the plays weren’t smooth, but he reiterated how he wanted to see Purdy “let it rip.”
“They were all tough,” Shanahan said. “Aiyuk’s ship was probably the hardest for him, where he read No. 1 and sailed. On Deebo, he came all the way across the board, his read was really tough, you wanted to get it but he missed it.
“Jennings’ speech didn’t bother me too much. I was a little surprised that the ball was going there. Everyone was covered, and you just want to make a play.”
Shanahan is quick to point out that the most important aspect of Purdy’s performance is ball security. The lack of turnovers on offense and two takeaways by the 49ers defense clearly tipped the scales in San Francisco’s favor. Shanahan was happy with the quarterback decision.
Of course, with Purdy recently recovering from a torn MCL, there were questions heading into the 2023 season about how his surgery in March would impact his arm strength and accuracy on the field this season. Purdy is confident his mistakes have nothing to do with his previous injury.
“No, I don’t think so,” Purdy said. “We fit those deep balls in practice and everything. It’s just about timing the bullets so you can make an accurate throw and not knock them over. Don’t drop them, but just be on point.”
“That’s what you have to do as an NFL quarterback and I take that on myself.”
Purdy and the 49ers’ offense have only had a few days to work on their deep passes before Thursday’s home opener at Levi’s Stadium.
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