Brock Purdy MVP campaign is desperately needed as 49ers hurting right now
SANTA CLARA — Mike Evans? Who needs him?Brock Purdy, with Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle and a bunch of spare parts, sure didn’t.He racked up the lion’s share of his season-best 297 passing yards after Evans exited with a rib or oblique injury in the first half of Sunday’s 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals.A half dozen defensive lineman, on the other hand? Now, that’s a problem.“Our D-line is hurting right now,” tight end George Kittle said afterward.
”It’s obvious.”A battered-down San Francisco 49ers defense made a valiant early effort against Jacoby Brissett and the Cardinals.But the math began to catch up to them as the game wore on.Six injured defensive linemen.
Three signed or elevated from their practice squad, one more from another team.Eighty-one snaps over almost 39 minutes of game action.“Everyone knows the big challenge for the D-Line,” coach Kyle Shanahan said.And it would have fully caught up to the Niners and potentially cost them a winnable game against the one soft spot in their division if not for two assets that kept them afloat.And, since these injuries don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, will need to keep it up.That’s Purdy slinging the pigskin and Shanahan calling the plays.As long as those two keep doing what they’ve been doing, the 49ers offense sure seems like it can withstand whatever other attrition comes its way.
On the flip side, the defense surrendered touchdowns on three of five second-half drives and seemed to reach its breaking point.Fred Warner was flying all over the field and finished with 17 tackles, a career-high.But every tackle made by a linebacker is one not made by a defensive lineman.
Is it any coincidence that a defensive back, Renardo Green, also recorded a career-high with 11 tackles?It was all too easy for the Cardinals to keep marching down the field.Four of their drives lasted 12 or more plays and they converted four first downs on another.
Despite the 49ers outgaini...