Brock Purdy Draws Blunt Words After 49ers Return
The San Francisco 49ers secured a 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11 on November 16 at State Farm Stadium. Moreover, it marked the return of Brock Purdy from injury.
With Mac Jones performing well in his absence, all eyes were on Purdy to hit the ground running, which he did. The 49ers quarterback completed 19 of 26 pass attempts for 200 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Purdy’s return looked far different from the way he came back from injury for the September 28 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the win over the Cardinals, Christian McCaffrey spoke with reporters and shared his thoughts on Purdy’s performance.
“He was vintage, Brock,” McCaffrey said (h/t KNBR). “Yeah, and that’s a huge compliment. He was poised, made some great plays, made some huge third-down throws, kept us in the game,
“To miss games like that is really hard, and to come back in the middle of the year. I think people just watch and like, Oh, he had a good game, whatever. But to be out that long and to come in and do what he did today is extremely impressive.”
George Kittle Also Talks About Brock Purdy’s Return
Two of the three touchdown passes that Purdy completed against Arizona were to George Kittle, who also had six receptions and 67 receiving yards. Whether it’s Jones or Purdy, Kittle is beginning to hit his stride at a critical time in the season. The veteran tight end, like McCaffrey, was happy to have the 49ers’ starting quarterback back.
“Brock’s presence in the huddle is just so elite,” Kittle said (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “He plays the game with this joy that’s so infectious, and it’s just so much fun to play football with him. … He was definitely feeling it. I think he’s got the confidence; he’s got his swagger.”
49ers Needed a Bounce Back Win
After losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the fashion that they did, San Francisco needed a win against a struggling Cardinals team. Moreover, with Purdy looking like his usual self, it quiets the national football media, at least for this week, over the quarterback situation in the Bay Area.
Moreover, Purdy spoke about his return to the field and what it meant to him to be back for this final stretch of games as the 49ers push for a playoff spot.
“It’s my first time missing that much time in a season, and for me, it was new,” Purdy said (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “How do I handle it? … It was frustrating. I had to learn how to deal with it and mentally just take it one day at a time, one week at a time, and trust that there’s a process to this. … But overall, it felt good… I feel great now.”
San Francisco will now turn the page for Week 12, and they will be facing another team that’s in the middle of a division fight of their own, the Carolina Panthers, on November 24 at Levi’s Stadium.
Aaron Rodgers’ Wrist Injury Could Stifle Pittsburgh Steelers’ Playoff Hopes
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to fend off the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 despite losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a wrist injury.
Sunday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the initial fear from one source is that Rodgers suffered “a slight break” in his wrist. Rodgers will undergo further testing on Monday to determine the full extent of the injury and how much time will be missed.
Schefter elaborated that it’s shaping up to be backup quarterback Mason Rudolph against the Chicago Bears next week.
Rudolph was 12-of-16 passing for 127 yards and one touchdown in relief of Rodgers. He was able to seal the 34-12 victory against the Bengals and send the Steelers to 6-4.
The Cleveland Browns didn’t do the Steelers any favors when they collapsed against the Baltimore Ravens. But with a 6-4 record, the Steelers are still on top of the 5-5 Ravens and in sole possession of first place in the AFC North.
But if Rodgers is forced to miss significant time, playoff hopes in Pittsburgh could be all but over.
This offseason, the Steelers signed the 41-year-old hoping to upgrade from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, who both departed in free agency. While Rodgers took his time committing to Pittsburgh formally, the Steelers brought back Rudolph who flamed out in his lone season with the Tennessee Titans. They also drafted Ohio State quarterback Will Howard on Day 3.
Without Rodgers, this Steelers squad barely has a chance. Even though Rudolph is in his sixth season of serving a backup role, he’s been wildly inconsistent when given significant action. The Titans were starving for a solution at quarterback when they turned to him, and he threw nine touchdown passes to nine interceptions.
More importantly, this Steelers offense leaves a ton to be desired.
Running back Jaylen Warren somehow isn’t used enough on a weekly basis. DK Metcalf was a big offseason acquisition who has been inconsistent. But outside of Metcalf? Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson are Pittsburgh’s other pass catching options.
The Steelers have the luxury of playing in a dreadful AFC North, but the Ravens are coming. Lamar Jackson was horrible in Week 11’s win against the Browns, but the Ravens still mustered an impressive win against an elite defense. They’ve won four straight games.
While Rudolph put together a respectable stat line in replacement of Rodgers, everybody knows how bad Cincinnati's defense has been.
The Bears are 7-3 and host the Steelers on Sunday. After that, the Steelers host the Buffalo Bills before traveling to Baltimore. Things are getting serious in Pittsburgh, and they could be without their starting quarterback.
