The fan base is already selecting up sides and questioning if possibly Brock Purdy might find yourself holding a clipboard when wholesome.
Mac Jones is aware of higher, even after a 26-23 time beyond regulation win for the 49ers over the Rams Thursday evening, throughout which he elevated himself to sainted standing — at the very least for now — amongst The Devoted.
“They brought me here to play as a backup, and that’s my job,” Jones stated. “Brock’s the starter of this group, and proper now he’s coping with one thing. For him to go on the market final week and play when you realize he in all probability wasn’t at full well being, I’m simply making an attempt to get some wins for him so it helps us down the road.
“At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. You want your backup to go out there and win, because at the end of the season, that could be the hit or miss between making the playoffs or not.”
Which is exactly the purpose. To create a quarterback controversy the place there may be none is a senseless train. It’s higher to rejoice the 49ers for being a group that has two quarterbacks able to taking them to the postseason. Purdy has carried out it twice. Jones led the 49ers to win over a Rams group that must be among the many finest within the NFC and a authentic contender to achieve the Tremendous Bowl.
Jones was 33-for-49 for 342 yards, two touchdowns and had no interceptions. He performed with a brace on his left knee, harm it once more, necessitating a visit onto the sector from the coaching employees, and was having his calf and proper forearm labored on always as Matthew Stafford was discovering the vary towards the 49ers’ protection.
“He played his ass off,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan stated. “Was unbelievable in the first half. Got banged up in the second half and battled through it and protected the ball going against that defense and throwing the ball that many times without having a turnover. I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”
You and everyone else. Amazon Prime play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and analyst Kirk Herbstreit had been falling throughout themselves making an attempt to give you methods to sum up what Jones was doing in extraordinarily robust circumstances.
That’s how good Jones was. Shanahan and the 49ers possible erred in letting Purdy play final week in a 26-21 loss to Jacksonville. His turf toe worsened to the purpose the place he was declared out on Wednesday and didn’t even make the journey to Los Angeles.
Nobody is bound when Purdy will probably be again. And assuming Jones didn’t come out of a particularly bodily win with one thing that would put him on the sidelines, he could possibly be the quarterback when the 49ers return to motion in Week 6 towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jones is already 3-0 because the starter for a group that’s 4-1 and atop the NFC West. The 49ers took a variety of flak for being inert in free company, nevertheless it’s conceivable that the two-year, $7 million deal which landed Jones might save their season.
Within the first half, Jones was just about flawless in executing Shanahan’s offense in addition to it may be run, contemplating the caliber of the opponent. He was 15-of-23 for 179 yards and each touchdowns, 6 yards to Jake Tonges and 1 yard to Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers dominated the time of possession and led 17-7, a lead they expanded to 20-7 within the third quarter.
However the 49ers as presently constituted merely aren’t outfitted to complete off the Rams with out a combat. Not with out George Kittle, Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall Jr., Nick Bosa, Jauan Jennings, and so on., and so on.
That the Rams got here again was completely predictable. This can be a Rams group that hung with Philadelphia final season within the playoffs and once more in a 33-25 loss this season. They had been 3-1 and had overwhelmed the beforehand unbeaten Indianapolis Colts. Their defensive entrance is as fearsome because it will get.
Jones even did one thing extremely uncommon in his postgame press convention: He referred to as the Rams the perfect protection within the NFL.
“It was just awesome to be on a team that fights,” Jones stated. “Even if we lost, I would have been just as proud, to be honest, because I know those guys have my back and I have their back.”
Left sort out Trent Williams agreed with Jones’ evaluation of the Rams and stated of his quarterback, “Tough as nails man, just an apex competitor.”
Mac Jones is 3-0 as a starter subbing for injured starter Brock Purdy for the 49ers. A.P. Picture
Large receiver Kendrick Bourne, who weathered two painful drops towards Jacksonville and performed the sport of his life towards the Rams with 10 receptions for 142 yards, performed with Jones in New England, the place he was unceremoniously changed after three seasons regardless of a robust rookie yr.
“It’s just awesome to see him in this space,” Bourne stated. “New England was a different world for him. To see now the peace he has, playing free and having fun, I think that’s a big part of the game for him.”
Operating again Christian McCaffrey stated he didn’t know what the oddsmakers thought in regards to the 49ers’ possibilities and referred to as the NFL the “best reality show” earlier than being requested to evaluate what Jones has dropped at the group.
“I don’t have enough good things to say about Mac,” McCaffrey stated. “He’s somebody we can all get behind. It’s a testament to his attitude and the way he plays football. It’s a testament to Brock and the way he’s been helping him and getting him ready to go.”
Ultimately, Jones was nonetheless making an attempt to course of all of it.
“Definitely a lot of things happened,” Jones stated. “I was working through some stuff and I was able to play. If I can protect myself, I feel I should be out there. That was the first time the trainers had to come out on the field in my career. But once I realized what I was dealing with, and flipped over, I realized what it was and I felt a lot better.”
Initially Revealed: October 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM PDT
