SANTA CLARA — Who needs Mike Evans, really?
With help from Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle—and a few other players—Brock Purdy didn’t seem to miss him at all. He threw for an impressive 297 yards, primarily after Evans went down with an injury in the first half during a thrilling 36-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
But losing a handful of defensive linemen? That’s a major concern.
“Our D-line is struggling right now,” tight end George Kittle acknowledged after the game. “It’s pretty clear.”
The San Francisco 49ers’ defense started strong against Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals. Still, as the game progressed, the physical toll became evident.
Six defensive linemen were injured, with three brought in from the practice squad and one from another team. The team had to endure 81 plays over nearly 39 minutes of action.
“Everyone knows the challenge in the D-line,” coach Kyle Shanahan noted.
If not for two key components, the 49ers might have faltered against a team that isn’t known for being particularly strong in their division.
Those key factors? Well, that would be Purdy delivering passes and Shanahan orchestrating the game.
As long as they keep performing at a high level, it looks like the 49ers’ offense can handle whatever other difficulties arise. In contrast, the defense allowed touchdowns on three of five drives in the second half, showing signs of exhaustion.
Fred Warner was everywhere on the field, racking up a career-high 17 tackles. But that also means those tackles were not made by the defensive linemen. Coincidentally, defensive back Renardo Green also set a personal best with 11 tackles.
The Cardinals found it easy to advance down the field, managing four drives with 12 or more plays, along with another series that resulted in four first downs. Even though the 49ers gained nearly 100 more yards than the Cardinals, they ended up with four fewer first downs (27 to 23).
Before halftime, the 49ers managed to stay solid, but as the game wore on, they ran out of steam.
“I can’t put this on the injuries,” Warner said. “Whether it was a run here that slipped through or a third down we couldn’t stop, all those little things build up. We need to be better at getting off the field in the second half.”
Considering that Brissett and Jeremiyah Love managed to tire out the already weakened defense, one can only wonder what an offense like Bo Nix’s or Jaxon Smith-Njiba’s could do in the upcoming two weeks.
This is why Kittle’s words are crucial.
Late last season, when injuries were even worse, Kittle asserted that the offense would take charge. And look at that—it looks like he’s right again.
“With our offense, under Coach Shanahan and Brock Purdy leading the way, we need to score points,” Kittle emphasized. “We have enough talent, no matter who is on the field, to put up points, especially with Brock throwing.”
Against the Cardinals, both Purdy and Kittle were exceptional, even without any of the five starting receivers from training camp who would have been expected to be on the field in light of Evans’ absence.
If there’s a downside, it’s that the 49ers might have been too efficient, which could hinder their defense. They averaged an astonishing 8.4 yards per play, with two touchdown drives taking under 90 seconds.
Kittle emerged as Purdy’s primary target, while Jordan Watkins surprisingly contributed two key catches for 60 yards—more than he had accumulated in his entire professional career up to that point.
Meanwhile, McCaffrey accumulated 116 yards over 19 touches.
The defensive struggles are apparent on one side of the ball, but it’s worth noting their offensive line has yet to allow a sack, becoming the first lineup since the 2014 Bengals to remain unscathed through three games
Ultimately, what stands out is Purdy’s grasp of Shanahan’s system.
Shanahan remarked that he’s only had that level of trust in two prior quarterbacks, both from his time with the Falcons: Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub—curiously leaving out a certain former 49ers quarterback he coached for six seasons.
Purdy expressed his enthusiasm regarding the game plans coming in through the headset, recalling an 82-yard hook and ladder for a touchdown to Deebo Samuel, followed by a successful bootleg pass to a wide-open Kittle.
Leading by two late in the fourth quarter, Shanahan placed the game in Purdy’s hands instead of trying to run down the clock. This decision paid off with Purdy’s fourth touchdown pass of the day.
One could view this as a symbolic indicator of the season’s direction.
It’s truly in Purdy’s hands now.
And there’s a solid chance he’s going to make something happen.
