The Jacksonville Jaguars will have to face the San Francisco 49ers this week with quarterback Brock Purdy. Mac Jones has started the last two games – both wins – for the Niners while Purdy nursed a toe injury.
This week, Purdy has practiced all week and doesn’t have an injury designation heading into Sunday’s game.
“He looked good,” Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He got to do a lot more than last week and each day he got a lot better.”
Shanahan also said he was pretty much planning on a Week 4 return.
“I mean, that was what we were hoping for,” Shanahan said. “We knew it could go either way, but the fact that we even considered him to be an emergency guy last week — just talking to him on Monday and Tuesday, and he wasn’t full on Wednesday or Thursday, but you could tell it was going that direction.
“As long as he woke up today feeling good, we kind of expected it.”
Brock Purdy returns despite good play from Mac Jones
Two weeks ago against the New Orleans Saints, Jones was 26-39 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Last week, he led the team over the Arizona Cardinals 16-15 while going 27-41 passing with 284 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Those are some pretty good numbers and both games resulted in wins, but Shanahan said he’s confident that Purdy can jump right back into the starting role.
“Yeah, definitely,” Shanahan said. “He’s always prepared. He’s played in games with zero practice, and he got, for the most part, all of it this week.”
The 25-year old Purdy just got a five-year, $265 million contract in May, so he better be ready to play.
“I really like where I’m at with the progress with it healing up and feeling better and dropping back, throwing,” Purdy said. “It’s no secret like it’s been two-and-a-half weeks or so. And just overall, my toe is healed up. It’s gotten better.”
How will the Jaguars defend Brock Purdy and the San Francisco offense?
A few Sports Illustrated writers recently discussed how the Jaguars’ defense will handle Purdy and Shanahan’s offense. Will defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile be able to handle the undefeated team on the road?
“This is a tough one,” John Shipley writes. “Outside of a few isolated reps against Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, the Jaguars’ defense has been one of the NFL’s best. But this is also the best play-caller, scheme, and quarterback they have faced so far this season.
“I think Campanile will have his unit prepared, but it would not surprise me to see the defense fall back down to earth some this weekend unless they continue to generate turnovers at a historic rate.”
Andy Quach notes that the Jags will have to use their pass rush to get to Purdy and hope that Christian McCaffrey doesn’t kill them.
“Jacksonville has been a solid tackling team this season and has the speed and athleticism necessary to keep the Niners in front of them,” Quach writes. “I think Anthony Campanile will continue to play a bend-don’t-break method, happy to let McCorkle Jones or Brock Purdy try to beat them consistently against a fierce pass rush. The Jaguars’ run defense will have to step up versus Christian McCaffrey, but I think schematically and personnel-wise, Camp’s squad has the edge in this one.”