49ers face injury woes with Purdy’s toe and short week ahead of Rams clash

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have little time to focus on the four turnovers, leaky run defense and lack of a pass rush that contributed to their first loss of the season.

They have more pressing concerns starting with the health of quarterback Brock Purdy following a 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday leading into a short week.

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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Purdy reported after the game that he had soreness in the toe that sidelined him the previous two games. Purdy needed to undergo more tests to help determine his status this week when the Niners (3-1) visit the division rival Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

“Anytime guys are sore and hurting on a Monday, you usually don’t stress too much about it,” Shanahan said. “But, anytime you have a Thursday game, it’s a totally different element. So yeah, I’m concerned with anybody who’s not totally healthy at this moment.”

San Francisco has two other key players dealing with injuries with leading wide receiver Ricky Pearsall dealing with what Shanahan said was likely a minor PCL injury and receiver Jauan Jennings having sore ribs.

Shanahan said it’s hard to know if the toe injury impacted Purdy’s shaky performance against the Jaguars. He went 22 for 38 for 309 yards and two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble on a potential game-winning drive.

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Purdy was off-target on several passes, missing high on a few and throwing a little low and behind Jennings in the end zone on a potential touchdown.

“Anytime you miss a throw, we point out mechanics on every play, so mechanics go in and out,” Shanahan said. “Sometimes that can be overcompensating for an injury. Sometimes it’s just how you set your body and moving in the pocket and always trying to get your body in a position to have the right mechanics. So, there’s a lot of factors that go into it. That possibly could be the toe or possibly could be like any other day in the NFL.”

What’s working

Linebacker play. Fred Warner and Dee Winters have been the stars of San Francisco’s defense early this season. Warner had eight tackles and a forced fumble on Sunday, while Winters had 10 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass defensed.

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What needs help

Red zone offense. The 49ers had first and goal twice in the first half and settled for short field goals. The lost opportunity for more points proved costly in a game decided by five points and has been a recurring issue all season. San Francisco has scored TDs on only 6 of 14 (42.9%) red zone trips this season, tied for fifth worst in the league. The Niners are just 3 for 8 when they have a goal-to-go situation and are the only team without a TD run this season.

“That’s the stuff that we have to be better at as an offense,” Purdy said about the red zone. “Starting with the quarterback too, with myself, we got to be better.”

Stock up

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TE Jake Tonges. After catching no passes in his first 20 games, Tonges has made valuable contributions in the passing game with George Kittle injured. Tonges had three catches for 58 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars.

Stock down

Special teams. After struggling on special teams for most of last season, the Niners had fared well there early this season before Sunday. They allowed a 54-yard kickoff return to Bhayshul Tuten at the end of the first half to set up a field goal and allowed an 87-yard punt return for a TD by Parker Washington in the third quarter. That was the first punt return TD allowed by San Francisco since 2017.

Injuries

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CB Renardo Green (neck) has a chance to return this week after missing Sunday’s game. … Shanahan said the plan right now is to open S Malik Mustapha’s practice window after Week 6 as he tries to return from offseason knee surgery.

Key stat

The 49ers generated five quarterback pressures with no sacks and no QB hits in their first game without Nick Bosa. It was the first time they had no sacks or QB hits in a game since Week 2 of the 2015 season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Next steps

The 49ers will visit the Rams on Thursday night hoping to improve to 3-0 in the division.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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