Niners Bulletin: Taking care of business

For all intents and purposes, the 49ers took care of business on Sunday, beating the Titans 37-24 in a game that was never truly in jeopardy. On the offensive side of the ball, things were nearly perfect. On defense, an embattled Niners’ unit left a whole lot to be desired against one of the NFL’s worst squads. 

Let’s start with what to love. Brock Purdy is looking like himself. Much more like the near MVP of 2023 than the skittish, injury prone version of 2024. Purdy was 23-30, racking up 295 yards and tossing three touchdowns. The 49ers didn’t turn the ball over, and scored on each of their first five drives. 

George Kittle, in his own bizarre way, offered high praise for Purdy following the win. It must be the first time the young QB has ever been called a Jesus Christ Lizard. At least publicly. 

For the second game in a row, Purdy’s swag was a topic of discussion. He broke out his now signature dougie once again, but this time only after being egged on by his teammates following his third passing touchdown of the afternoon. Kyle Shanahan expanded on what the locker room thinks of the white boy’s motion. 

His swag may have overflowed a bit late in the game. On a long scramble that picked up a first down, he seemed to fake flick the ball at a Titans’ linebacker. It seemed out of character, which was confirmed as a sheepishly smiling Brock Purdy immediately apologized. Trash talk isn’t one of Purdy’s best attributes.

The Niners’ offense has been hot of late. But the defenses it has feasted on are far from the league’s best. George Kittle admitted as much during his postgame comments, referencing the teams that San Francisco will face in the coming weeks as a true test of what this offense can be.

Christian McCaffrey’s role on that aforementioned Brock Purdy scramble can’t be understated. The All world back ran a beautiful fake, drawing multiple defenders away from the scrambling Purdy. His masquerade made him the unsung hero of the play, according to its beneficiary.