Secondly, the 49ers went in with a pass-heavy game plan, one in which Jones attempted 39 passes.
Jones said he was dealing with nerves early on, but that they went away after a message from left tackle Trent Williams.
Nothing symbolized the outing more than the 49ers’ end-of-half drive that began at their 23-yard line with 1:10 remaining.
Still, when Juszczyk left the game, the 49ers had to lean on three-receiver formations, with Bourne typically lining up as that third receiver.
Jennings and Jones read it the same way, allowing Jennings to coast into the end zone untouched.
During the San Francisco 49ers’ 2021 draft considerations, Mac Jones, a quarterback from Alabama at the time, may have dreamed of leading an offense that featured Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle.
He was without any of those weapons four years later, and Sunday’s game plan was severely disrupted by the early concussion of fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
It seemed to be irrelevant. The 49ers won 26–21 against the New Orleans Saints, their second hard-fought road victory of the season, thanks to the quarterback’s 279 yards and three touchdowns.
Jones made his first start of the season due to Brock Purdy’s turf-toe injury, and he might get more chances starting against the Arizona Cardinals next week.
On Purdy’s availability for Week 3, Kyle Shanahan responded, “I think there’s a chance.”. However, we must observe the toe’s progress. We’re going day by day. “.”.
Because they believe in Jones so much, the 49ers don’t seem to be in a rush to get Purdy back. For starters, after Purdy’s injury, they signed no other backup quarterbacks. Instead, they selected Adrian Martinez from the practice squad for Sunday’s game even though he has never tried an NFL pass during the regular season.
Second, Jones attempted 39 passes as part of the 49ers’ pass-heavy game plan. Purdy only had 40 attempts in a Week 16 loss in Miami last season, which was the only game he had more.
San Francisco started that off with three offensive plays that ended in failure. Jones claimed that after receiving a message from left tackle Trent Williams, his nerves that he had been having earlier vanished.
“You’re good, dude, just go out there and hoop,” Jones recalled when Trent approached him. “And I thought, ‘I understand you.'”. I am capable of hooping. I thought, “Okay, let’s go out and play ball,” after he said that. That was kind of cool, then. “”.
Jones had a much smoother second drive. By hitting Ricky Pearsall for 15 yards, he solved a third-and-14 situation. He then faked a handoff to his right on third-and-one from the New Orleans 11, spun to his left, and found tight end Luke Farrell, who blasted his way into the end zone for his first touchdown of the season. While the Saints converted 4 of 11 third downs (36 point 4 percent), Jones and the 49ers were successful, going 8 of 15 (53 point 3 percent).
The 49ers’ final-half drive, which started at their 23-yard line with 1:10 left, was the greatest symbol of the game. Even seasoned veterans playing in their own stadium find two-minute drives difficult. In addition to burning a timeout earlier in the half, the 49ers were playing in one of the league’s noisiest stadiums.
They also had a lot of new players, such as Jones, receiver Kendrick Bourne, who had only been signed five days prior, and seventh-round rookie Connor Colby, who had to replace injured left guard Ben Bartch.
Jones, however, ran it almost flawlessly, passing the ball to Christian McCaffrey, Bourne, Jauan Jennings, and Jake Tonges before hitting McCaffrey for a 7-yard score in the right end zone.
Due to his lack of confidence on a few formations, Bourne was given a timeout in the first half and a penalty for delay of game in the second. Bourne usually lined up as the third receiver in three-receiver formations, which the 49ers had to rely on after Juszczyk left the game. For 32 yards, he caught all three targets.
“I think it’s really awesome when new guys come in and perform that way,” McCaffrey remarked.
Jones wasn’t perfect. .
Shanahan emphasizes to his team the value of winning the “middle eight”—the four minutes leading up to halftime and the four minutes following the break.
The 49ers drove to the Saints’ 48-yard line to start the third quarter, seemingly fulfilling the head coach’s wish after the nine-play scoring drive to end the second quarter. Chris Rumph II, a defensive end, hit Jones as he started to deliver on first down because Jones was too unsure in the pocket. The ensuing fumble gave New Orleans the momentum they needed to rally and cut the 49ers’ lead to 16–14 with a 10-play touchdown drive.
But that was as close as the Saints would come.
Both of Jones’ field goal attempts went straight down the middle, but he missed an extra point. The next drive ended with a field goal from Eddy Piñeiro, and the final one was capped by a 46-yard score to Jennings.
Shanahan loves this play, which has Jennings on the left and three receivers lining up on the right. By dropping a linebacker deep into coverage, the Saints took a slightly different approach than was customary. It wasn’t an issue. Because Jones and Jennings had the same interpretation, Jennings was able to coast into the end zone unharmed.
On Sunday, Jones’ top target was Jennings, who was doubtful due to a shoulder injury and only participated in Friday’s half-speed practice. Five of the ten passes that came his way were caught, giving him a game-high 89 yards.
According to Jones, he threw the touchdown after moving the ‘backer and looking slightly to the left. He brought it to the house after that. He clearly played through some things, but he did a great job. Those guys’ efforts were admirable. “”.
The catchphrase for many 49ers supporters going into the draft four years ago appeared to be “Anyone but Mac.”. They’ve probably changed their mind after Jones’ performance on Sunday, and his teammates also appear to like him.
During his postgame news conference, the quarterback’s silly laugh and self-effacing sense of humor were heard multiple times. But he also possesses the confidence and swagger that NFL quarterbacks need. Jones arrived at the Superdome on Sunday sporting an Army-green linen suit with a floppy belt and no socks, which looked like it belonged in a European fashion magazine. One week prior, he had arrived in Seattle wearing an all-red outfit.
Nick Bosa, a defensive end, described him as lively and enjoyable. “The offense thrives on having a backup quarterback with that much swagger.”. His work today was excellent. “.”.
Fred Warner, the linebacker, only cared that Jones scored points.
He stated that scoring 26 points would be equivalent to winning football each week.
Imagn Images/Stephen Lew took the picture.
