Purdy pinpoints challenge facing Rams without CMC, Deebo originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Brock Purdy hasn’t had 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey lined up behind him the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season, and beginning this Sunday, the quarterback won’t have Deebo Samuel out wide when San Francisco takes on the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
The 49ers quarterback will be tasked with trying to beat an NFC West rival on the road without two of his playmakers, and there’s a chance tight end George Kittle might not be able to play because of a hamstring injury.
Purdy knows there’s no time to wallow about who won’t be on the field Sunday. He has to conduct business as usual and hope that the next man up fills the void properly.
“Obviously it sucks not having your guys like Deebo and Christian, so it’s like, all right, ‘How can we figure out to get the ball to other guys?’ ” Purdy told reporters Thursday. “But man, we’ve got playmakers. I’ve said that before. We’ve got a really good scheme, great play-caller and some great players that step up in the roles and do their job really well. So for me, I still have to do my job, in terms of my reads and my progressions, more so than I need to now change the way I think and make sure I’m getting it to this guy or that guy because a couple guys are out. It’s not like that.
“That’s the challenge for me, is how can I continue to be better with my progressions and as a quarterback and handling situations, being as efficient as I can regardless of who is in. That’s where my mindset is at with this game. And obviously, I’d love to have my guys back and playing with them, but that’s just how it is with this game sometimes.”
Jordan Mason so far has stepped up in the running game with McCaffrey out through at least Week 5 of the season. The third-year pro is tied for second in the NFL with 48 rushing attempts and is second in the league with 247 rushing yards.
But an area of McCaffrey’s game that is hard to replicate is his effectiveness catching the ball out of the backfield. Mason only has two receptions through two games. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year caught six passes in the first two games last season and had 67 receptions overall a year ago.
Samuel is the 49ers’ leading receiver through two weeks, having caught 13 passes on 19 targets for 164 yards. That means All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings will have to carry the load. But also, veteran Chris Conley and rookie Jacob Cowing might see increased roles after barely playing on offense so far this season.
But as Purdy noted, the 49ers rely on their scheme and hope that whoever is pressed into action shows they are ready for the spotlight.
If Purdy meets the challenge in front of him, the 49ers should walk out of SoFi with the win on Sunday.
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