INGLEWOOD — The 49ers found a way to leave Los Angeles with a 30-23 win over the Rams, but there definitely were pass attempts that quarterback Brock Purdy would like to have back.
Uncharacteristically, the second-year play-caller overthrew wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, each on separate occasions on Sunday. All three misses will be on Purdy’s mind for a while.
“Yeah, probably a lot,” Purdy said after the game. “I just overthrew them. The one to B.A., the one to Deebo and then J.J. on the third down. Those are on me. I got to be better, hit them in stride and not overthrow them. Simple as that.”
Most importantly, Purdy and the 49ers offense found ways to put points on the board and secure an important NFC West divisional win. Purdy continuing to build chemistry with his receivers, however, will be on the docket for the short week of practice prior to the Week 3 matchup with the New York Giants on “Thursday Night Football.”
“We got four days to get ready for the next game,” Purdy said. “In my eyes, there were a couple opportunities out there I missed. In terms of the deep ball and whatnot. But we found a way to win.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan had a diplomatic response to his quarterback’s misses. While he would have preferred to see Purdy connect with his receivers, he understood why the plays were not seamless, but reiterated how he wants to see Purdy “let it rip.”
“They were all tough ones,” Shanahan said. “The Aiyuk one probably was his toughest, as the No. 1 read and it sailed. On Deebo, he went all the way across the board, had a really tough read, and you’d love to hit it but he just missed it.
“The one to Jennings didn’t bother me much. I was a little surprised the ball was going there. Everyone else was covered, and you just want to make a play.”
Shanahan was quick to point out that the most important aspect of Purdy’s performance was his ball security. The lack of turnovers by the offense, and the two takeaways by the 49ers’ defense clearly tipped the scale in San Francisco’s favor. Shanahan was pleased with his quarterback’s decision-making.
Of course, with Purdy recently recovering from a torn UCL, there were questions before the 2023 season about how his surgery in March would impact his arm strength and accuracy down the field this season. Purdy is confident his mistakes had nothing to do with his prior injury.
“No, I don’t think so,” Purdy said. “We fit those deep balls in practice and everything. It just comes down to when the bullets are flying, to be able to make an accurate throw, and not overthrow them. Don’t underthrow them, but just be on point.
“It’s what you have to do as an NFL quarterback and I take that on myself.”
Purdy and the 49ers’ offense only have a few days to work on their deep passes before the Thursday home opener at Levi’s Stadium.
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