SANTA CLARA — It looks as if Mac Jones will continue to do the heavy lifting for the 49ers’ offense and he hopes to be sharper after a solid week of practice.
Jones hasn’t been announced as the starter Sunday night against the Atlanta Falcons (5:20 p.m., NBC) and has been listed as “limited” as he deals with knee and oblique issues. But coach Kyle Shanahan conceded that incumbent Brock Purdy (turf toe) is “more limited” than Jones and appears destined to miss his fifth game of the season and third in succession.
That may or may not put Purdy in line to start on Oct. 26 against Houston on the road.
In the meantime, Jones has been carrying a run-deficient offense to the tune of 313 yards per game — the most in the NFL.
The good news is Jones feels he’s still getting better.
“Every day you’re growing and you’re learning in this system,” Jones said. Thursday. “Every game plan is different and I try to take it day by day. I go out there with a clean slate and try to earn it every day.”
Heading into the Tampa Bay game, Jones didn’t throw until Friday. He was sacked six times against the Bucs, but came out relatively unscathed. He’s thrown all three days of practice. Purdy has as well, but Jones was first up when going to team sessions during the media window.
Klay Kubiak, the 49ers’ offensive coordinator, can see the difference the practice sessions have made.
“He didn’t get to practice a lot last week and this week you see more progress,” Kubiak said. “He owns that. He gets better every week in my opinion. He gets more comfortable with our operation, our offense. He gets more confident. It’s cool to see a player ascend that way and continue to grow.”
The 49ers’ system is big on anticipatory throws which require the quarterback to throw to a spot and trust the receiver to be there.
“The only way you can run the system is to commit to every throw,” Jones said. “(Quarterbacks coach) Mick Lombardi talks to me about that a lot and I feel I’ve been doing that. The points will come as long as I operate the offense and commit to every throw and rip it.”
Jones will get a new weapon this week as he plays his first game with tight end George Kittle, who came off injured this week after a hamstring strain in the opener against Seattle. He already has a rapport with Kendrick Bourne, with whom he played in New England.
“George is awesome,” Jones said. “I haven’t gotten a lot of reps with him, but in a way I have, just watching him, being a fan from afar. He’s got great energy in the huddle. He’s just George. He’s not going to change so you know what you’re going to get.”
In the meantime, Purdy continues to rehab his right big toe, which he aggravated in a 26-21 loss to Jacksonville on Sept. 28.
“It sucks to be such a big part of something that you work year-round and then not be able to do much because of injuries,” Shanahan said. “Injuries frustrate people. But Brock’s handling it right, like he does everything. I know he’s itching to get back and feel good again.”