Without former Mr Irrelevant starting for the first time in two years, the 49ers suffered their biggest defeat since 2018. On the day when the Niners had just 241 total yards with three turnovers. It showed how much they missed having Brock Purdy starting for them. Without him, the 49ers decided to throw in Brandon Allen. Starting for the first time since 2021, Allen struggled to make an impact, which was understandable.
He finished his day in Green Bay, completing 17-of-29 passes for 199 yards. His one TD late into the first half was the only time the 49ers managed to reach the end zone. Apart from those numbers, Allen threw one interception while losing the football in one of the sacks he took from Green Bay’s defense. But now it seems like the Niners won’t have to watch Allen start against the Bills on Sunday Night Football.
As per 49ers insider Matt Barrows, Purdy was captured throwing passes in practice today. Meanwhile, his immediate replacement, Brandon Allen, was wearing the scout-teamer-of-week jersey. This means he might not be starting this week against a Bills side that is fresh off their bye week. Even Shanahan shed some light on Purdy’s return today, “The fact that he’s going to be playing means that’s healthy.”
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Unlike last Friday, Brock Purdy is throwing today. What’s more, Brandon Allen is in a scout-teamer-of-week jersey, suggesting he’s not the starter. pic.twitter.com/KQVwFjjIDA
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) November 29, 2024
Leading up to this clash, Purdy was listed as questionable because of a shoulder injury he suffered against the Seahawks in week 11. That’s when the 49ers mini-slump started as Purdy finished with just 21-of-28 passes. He recorded a season-low 5.7 yards per attempt, which showed the lack of throwing power he had on his dominant hand.
Over the 10 games he has played so far, Purdy has racked up 202 passes of 306 attempts while throwing for 2,613 yards. Holding a passer rating of 95.9 to date, Purdy has also recorded 13 TDs with a staggering eight interceptions. Apart from those regular statistics, the 49ers QB also rushed for 267 yards while scoring 4 rushing TDs. But who knew that the 49ers would just crumble to irrelevancy without their starting QB?
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49ers head steeped the lowest in 6 years
Some of you weren’t even born when the last time the 49ers faced such a heavy beating as they did in Green Bay. Losing by a margin of 28 points meant the 49ers surpassed their own record of 27-point loss in 1960. Under head coach Kyle Shanahan, this was their third-largest loss since losing to the Rams by a margin of 29 points in 2018. This led to Shanahan calling his team’s performance an utter embarrassment, “The whole game was disappointing. When you have those penalties, we didn’t stop the run like we did, and we had those three turnovers in the second half. That’s how you get embarrassed.”
Well, the 49ers gave away 125 yards for 23 carries to the Packers, alongside a TD within the first half. They even conceded 9 penalties for 77 yards, thereby putting more pressure on their chances of getting something out of Green Bay. Even their linebacker, Fred Warner, called the game his worst defeat yet, “This is probably one of the worst ones I’ve been a part of. You’ve got to take it on the chin, take it like a man, and move on.”
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But the question is, can they actually move on against a Bills side that could clinch the AFC’s top spot by a win on Sunday? It remains to be seen whether they can, but Purdy’s return will surely renew some hope for them this week.
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Is Brock Purdy the missing piece for the 49ers' success, or are deeper issues at play?
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Is Brock Purdy the missing piece for the 49ers' success, or are deeper issues at play?
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