The San Francisco 49ers have been hanging on by tape and grit this season. The injuries have piled up, especially on defense, and Brock Purdy’s toe issue has kept him on the shelf for all but two games. That’s left Mac Jones trying to steady things at quarterback. And for someone in his position, protecting himself is non-negotiable. But during Sunday’s 34-24 win against the Giants, Jones found himself in a moment that went against that instinct. And head coach Kyle Shanahan let him hear about it.

It happened on a third-and-one. Jones took the snap under center and pushed forward behind his line. The Giants had bodies crammed in every gap, but instead of ducking out once the pile stalled, Jones dropped his shoulder and kept churning, helping Christian McCaffrey move the chains and get a first down. When asked about what went through his mind, he blamed his competitiveness and how Shanahan gave him some scolding for it.

“Kyle always yells at me on the headset whenever I do that. It’s just how my competitiveness is,” the 49ers’ QB added. “I’ve seen it so many times where there’s like a pile of people, and then it kinda goes the other way, and they were spotted like 5 yards back. And I pushed the pile in, and that’s where I got it from, and I scored on it. I was like, I might as well help. I mean, it’s another 225 pounds, sometimes more, depending on my diet. I might as well jump in there and try. Definitely have to be safe about it, but it’s just my competitiveness.”

Jones added something that might earn him another earful. When asked what Shanahan actually said in the headset, Jones laughed. He claimed that he couldn’t catch much of it, and a lot of what Shanahan screamed about sounded like gibberish. Not exactly the safest quote for a guy still trying to carve out a path back to QB1 status.

Still, Jones isn’t wrong about what drives him. It’s the competitiveness. Sunday against the Giants was no different.

Mac Jones delivered yet again

There’s a decent chance Brock Purdy will be back next week, which means Sunday’s game against the Giants might’ve been Mac Jones’s last start for a while. If that’s the case, he went out the right way, leading the Niners to their sixth win of the season.

Jones has quietly kept this team afloat, winning five of his seven starts while Purdy has been sidelined with turf toe. That’s no small thing, considering how banged up San Francisco’s roster has been across the board. Purdy’s injury turned out to be worse than anyone expected, but Shanahan hasn’t had to rush him back because Jones has been so dependable.

The 49ers sit at 6–3, a minor miracle given their health situation. They’ve played most of the season without Purdy, without Brandon Aiyuk, without rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall. On defense, both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner have been dealing with injuries, and Mykel Williams went down late against New York with a knee issue.

It really would’ve unraveled fast if Jones hadn’t stepped in the way he did. He’s thrown for 1,832 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Yet, Mac will have to take the backseat once Purdy comes back from his injury. That’s how this league works. But he’s made things interesting for Shanahan. If Purdy comes back rusty, or worse, tweaks that toe again, there shouldn’t be any hesitation about going back to Jones.