The 49ers and the Cowboy’s came into the Sunday Night match up missing key players on their roster. Both teams are banged up. The NFL is full of attrition, yet the players missing from both squads are key contributors. The 49ers in particular have about 66 million dollars in players on injured reserve.
Demarcus Lawrence, DaRon Bland, and Brandon Cooks headline the Dallas injured reserve, while Micah Parsons continues to work thru an injury. The Niners are missing more. Christian McCaffrey, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave, Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Aiyuk are all starters on the injured reserve. Jake Moody and Jaun Jennings were still unable to play. The Niners have six more players who have been key contributors in the past sitting on injured reserve.
The 49ers depleted roster wasn’t enough to overcome the Chiefs last week. However, they put together a win tonight.
Brock Purdy Improves
Brock Purdy has struggled this season. Some of those struggles are on the team, and some issues lie at Purdy’s feet. He has had over-throws, under throws, missed reads and turnovers. His red-zone play has been abysmal. Last week he threw three interceptions.
The red-zone play has suffered because Christian McCaffrey is still on injured reserve and Coach Shanahan has failed to find a fix. Purdy’s other issues stemmed from a lack of time with Aiyuk due to Aiyuk’s hold out in addition to learning two new receivers on the roster. Finally, the offensive line play suffered early in the season because Trent Williams was not as sharp as he usually is and the starting interior guards have been injured at various times.
This week Purdy started slow, but eventually found a rhythm. The offensive line play improved as the game wore on. Early the offense had three holding calls, calling back two first down play’s and a 70 yard Deebo Samuel touchdown.
As the game progressed, receivers ran open and Purdy started completing passes. When he couldn’t find a receiver, he pulled the ball down and ran it. He was the second leading rusher on the roster tonight with 56 yards and a touchdown.
Overall Purdy made good decisions. There were a few misreads in the first half, but he didn’t make the big mistake and turn the ball over. Finally, he used great judgement and made decisive plays, particularly in the second half.
National Tight End Day
George Kittle shined on his self pro-claimed holiday. He collected six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. Tonight was his best game all season. He blocked well. He ran great routes and rumbled down the field for yards after catch. Tonight was vintage George Kittle and it was a joy to see.
George cap-stoned his play by capturing his 500th reception in his career. Only Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Roger Craig and Dwight Clark have reached 500 receptions in a 49ers uniform.
Rookie Contributions
With so many key contributors injured, the Niners rookie class is forced to step up. Malik Mustapha brings the wood on every tackle he makes. Early in the game, he made a touchdown saving pass deflection. Then, on the very next play, he and fellow rookie Renardo Green forced a fumble causing Dallas to settle for a field goal. Mustapha collected five tackles while Green spent most of his time in coverage
On offense, Issac Guerendo has been shining when the opportunity presents itself. This week he stepped in for Jordan Mason and rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on fourteen carries. He could have had another touchdown but slid to run the clock out. Finally, Ricky Pearsall was able to get on the field and contribute in a meaningful way in only his second game. He had a 39-yard rush in the second half that set the Niners up for their final points in the game. He also had four receptions for 38 yards on four targets.
Defense
The Niners defense played relatively well. They held the Cowboys to a mere 56 yards rushing. They also forced Dak Prescott to throw two interceptions while chasing him all over the back field. However, in the fourth quarter, they gave up two scores.
During the last Cowboy drive, CeeDee Lamb had 3 receptions for a total of 70 yards and a touchdown. So, while the defense played well much of the game, there was a lack of attention to detail towards the end when they thought they had the game well in hand. The young players on the Niners roster must learn that the game is not over until you see all zeroes on the clock.
The 49ers are hitting their bye week at the exact right time. Hopefully they can get a few of their players healed up. Additionally, with Aiyuk out for the season, this additional time will be good for Pearsall and Purdy to gain chemistry with each other as the Niners head into the second half of their season.
