With defense shining in win over Miami, 49ers pivot from injured QB Jimmy Garoppolo to Brock Purdy
The 49ers also have solid special teams, including kicker Robbie Gould, an 18-year veteran who entered Sunday with a career success rate of 86.5 percent on field goals. He is known for coming through in the clutch, which means the only thing standing between the 49ers and a Super Bowl run could now be Purdy.
It’s difficult drawing conclusions from one game or even a handful. But the Arizona native didn’t wilt in the moment Sunday. Perhaps things happened so fast that he didn’t have time to think about the circumstances. He simply went out and played, relying on his preparation and ability.
His routine since Week 1 has been to prepare as if he’s going to play, if not start. During practice he runs the scout team, which simulates the offense of that week’s opponent, and refuses to concede anything to the No. 1 defense. He attacks it with confidence, sometimes to the surprise of the defenders. He also meets with the quarterbacks staff on the field after each practice to mentally go through the installation for that week.
If you didn’t know better, he looked a lot like Garoppolo on his first series, leading the 49ers on a nine-play, 54-yard touchdown drive to give San Francisco a 10-7 lead. He converted on a third-and-3 with a short pass to McCaffrey, then found Juszczyk in the right flat for the score.
Coach Kyle Shanahan showed his trust and confidence in the rookie by having him attempt 37 passes. He completed 25 for 210 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception that was a giveaway considering the 49ers were too close to punt and too far to attempt a field goal. So they took a chance on fourth down, which resulted in the turnover.
“He has a savviness to him,” said Juszczyk. “He has an understanding, he has a confidence to him. I thought he did a really good job today in the huddle, just commanding everyone’s respect and getting the plays in and out, delivering some confident passes out there. So I think we can definitely still do some things with Brock.”
“You know he’s going to slam the ball, throw it and fit it wherever he can,” said wideout Brandon Aiyuk. “He’s super confident and that confidence bleeds into [the confidence] that we have in him. We’re ready to go.”
Purdy was forced to react Sunday. There was no notice he would play. But now he will have a week to get ready for Tampa Bay. There is no reason to believe he won’t be up for the challenge, but there also is no reason to expect that he will. He’ll be facing a Todd Bowles-coached defense that is loaded with talent, though the unit’s play has been inconsistent.
Then again, it doesn’t matter if he’s ready. The job is his, the moment is his.
“I know that coaching staff and that team is very confident in him,” said Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, who spent the previous five seasons on the San Francisco staff. “It’s always a tough task, but when you’re able to lean on some good playmakers and get the ball in their hands, and when you’re able to kind of control the clock with a lot of first downs and the run game, I’m sure he’ll have some plays they’d want to have back, but that team will be fine moving forward with him.
“I’m sick for Jimmy and having to go through that, but at the same time, that’s football and teams get tested with their depth all the time. No one really cares at the end of the season. It’s results based. So, they’ll be all right.”
