The San Francisco 49ers secured a 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11 on November 16 at State Farm Stadium. Moreover, it marked the return of Brock Purdy from injury.
With Mac Jones performing well in his absence, all eyes were on Purdy to hit the ground running, which he did. The 49ers quarterback completed 19 of 26 pass attempts for 200 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Purdy’s return looked far different from the way he came back from injury for the September 28 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the win over the Cardinals, Christian McCaffrey spoke with reporters and shared his thoughts on Purdy’s performance.
“He was vintage, Brock,” McCaffrey said (h/t KNBR). “Yeah, and that’s a huge compliment. He was poised, made some great plays, made some huge third-down throws, kept us in the game, was smart the whole game.
“To miss games like that is really hard, and to come back in the middle of the year. I think people just watch and like, Oh, he had a good game, whatever. But to be out that long and to come in and do what he did today is extremely impressive.”
George Kittle Also Talks About Brock Purdy’s Return
Two of the three touchdown passes that Purdy completed against Arizona were to George Kittle, who also had six receptions and 67 receiving yards. Whether it’s Jones or Purdy, Kittle is beginning to hit his stride at a critical time in the season. The veteran tight end, like McCaffrey, was happy to have the 49ers’ starting quarterback back.
“Brock’s presence in the huddle is just so elite,” Kittle said (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “He plays the game with this joy that’s so infectious, and it’s just so much fun to play football with him. … He was definitely feeling it. I think he’s got the confidence; he’s got his swagger.”
49ers Needed a Bounce Back Win
After losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the fashion that they did, San Francisco needed a win against a struggling Cardinals team. Moreover, with Purdy looking like his usual self, it quiets the national football media, at least for this week, over the quarterback situation in the Bay Area.
Moreover, Purdy spoke about his return to the field and what it meant to him to be back for this final stretch of games as the 49ers push for a playoff spot.
“It’s my first time missing that much time in a season, and for me, it was new,” Purdy said (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “How do I handle it? … It was frustrating. I had to learn how to deal with it and mentally just take it one day at a time, one week at a time, and trust that there’s a process to this. … But overall, it felt good… I feel great now.”
San Francisco will now turn the page for Week 12, and they will be facing another team that’s in the middle of a division fight of their own, the Carolina Panthers, on November 24 at Levi’s Stadium.
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