Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Monday, November 20th, 2023
Kawakami: The 49ers are built for late-season runs, and they might be starting another (paywall)
“You think you’re ready when the season starts — like 5-0,” Bosa said. “But you have to go through stuff to really become the team you want to be. I think the veterans in here, we have a lot of ’em. We know that later in the year is when we’ve got to turn it on.”
This is now officially later in the year. The next three games won’t guarantee the 49ers any kind of playoff success, of course. There could be key injuries, there could be more stumbles. But this is a team that prides itself on turning it on when it has to be turned on, and here they are.
Wagoner: Brock Purdy posts perfect passer rating in 49ers win
“Most of Purdy’s production came against the Bucs’ man coverage as he threw for a career-high 210 yards and had all three touchdowns against that defensive look. Purdy now has 16 passing touchdowns when facing man, the most in the NFL this season.
Despite all those gaudy numbers, teammates have grown accustomed to Purdy’s performances.
“Perfect game? Wow,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “I’m never surprised anymore with him. He’s as good as it gets.””
Silver: Brock Purdy’s perfect day for 49ers mutes critics rooting for his failure (paywall)
“Whatever leverage he liked better between Deebo and Aiyuk, he was gonna throw to that guy,” Kittle said. “Aiyuk ran a great route.”
Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean lined up in press coverage on Aiyuk. It did not go well for him. Beaten at the line by the receiver’s slippery start, Dean tried to catch up as Purdy grooved a glorious spiral over Aiyuk’s outside shoulder. As the receiver hauled it in at the Bucs’ 40, Dean leaped backward in a desperate attempt to deflect it. He landed with a thud and stayed flat on the grass as Aiyuk raced into the end zone, cutting back to the middle to avoid angling safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
The 76-yard hookup was the longest touchdown pass in the NFL this season.
“Really?” Aiyuk asked when I delivered that news at his locker. “That’s lit.”
What Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy, other 49ers said after 27-14 win vs. Buccaneers
“San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, quarterback Brock Purdy, and others spoke with reporters after Sunday’s 27-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here is everything they had to say.”
Lombardi: Ji’Ayir Brown the latest 49ers youngster to answer the call against Buccaneers (paywall)
“When cornerback Charvarius Ward went down ahead of a critical fourth-down play from the red zone, putting the 49ers short two starting defensive backs, coordinator Steve Wilks thrust massive responsibility onto Brown. He dialed up a blitz for Isaiah Oliver, leaving Brown to cover Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans in the end zone.
“I turn around and I see him making a PBU on Mike in a big-time moment,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said of Brown. “I’m sure we wouldn’t normally put a rookie in a position like that, but the dude is just ready. He has the right mindset. Prepares the right way.”
…
As a reserve, Brown was on the 49ers’ scout team, and his job was to emulate Tampa Bay’s Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
“Brock’s preparation throughout the week, man,” Brown said. “I already know what Brock’s going to do when he comes in on these Sundays. I’m always trying to give him the best look I can. He always makes the right play at practice. Big respect to Brock in how he prepares. Sundays just take care of themselves when he prepares like that.”
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“Ji’Ayir, all the weeks so far, he’s given us a great look playing safety. Obviously with Winfield being one of their best defenders, Ji’Ayir did a great job with all the looks. They did a bunch of stuff with Winfield, and Ji’Ayir, even at practice, was a ballhawk. He has great instincts and was all over it, just like Winfield. He gave us a great look. … Being available for what the team is asking you to do, as a rookie, especially. Coming in and finding a role to help the team win, whether that’s at practice or on the scout team, helping give the team a look, special teams, running down on kickoff or whatever it may be — could just tell Ji’Ayir had that kind of mentality: ‘I’m going to do whatever it takes to help this team win and whatever the coaches ask of me, I’m going to do it 100 percent.’ He’s done that, and now we’re seeing it.”
“We’ve got a look at both of those topics in this edition of 49ers Notebook, as well as what 49ers defensive end Chase Young said after the game about his new team. Let’s get into it…”
Thompson: Brock Purdy has some big-time energy — and it’s perfect for this 49ers team (paywall)
“Under center, he might resemble Frodo Baggins in a helmet. Off the field, he might have the swag of a suburban youth pastor. But it would be wise to not let any of that distract from the inner football savage of Purdy. It was Week 14 of the 2022 season when he made his first NFL start, against Tampa Bay, officially beginning the Purdy Era. He threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-7 blowout of the Buccaneers. Against Tom Brady, no less. A barely drafted, no-name quarterback.
Not even a year later, Purdy faced Tampa Bay again and has built up such a reputation that Baker Mayfield, the former No. 1 pick, was clearly the inferior quarterback in the matchup. Purdy stamped the full-circle moment with a perfect passer rating.”
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