The San Francisco 49ers entered Week 5's Thursday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams with first place in the NFC West on the line. The only problem was that the Niners entered the game with a skeleton crew.
They were without starting quarterback Brock Purdy once again, and wideouts Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings were sidelined as well, in addition to a smattering of star players on Injured Reserve or dealing with multi-week injuries.
But San Francisco was still able to outlast their bitter divisional foe in overtime, as they escaped with a 26-23 victory. A large reason for pulling out this win was the play of backup quarterback Mac Jones, who brought it once again in primetime.
Mac Jones' strong showings may keep Brock Purdy sidelined for a while
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Jones, who is now 3-0 as the starter this season, put together another strong performance. He completed 33-of-49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns, and Jones showed up when it mattered most in overtime, leading the 49ers on a long field goal drive, which ended up settling the game.
Obviously, Purdy is the superior player under center, and he is a better long-term option. But Jones' play, at least in the interim, has made a solid argument to Kyle Shanahan and Co. to keep Purdy on the sidelines and let him fully recover from his injury before returning.
Turf toe injuries can be tricky, and Purdy did not look like himself in his cameo appearance in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones, however, appears to be playing his best football under Shanahan, and the 49ers should just keep riding the hot hand.
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Having Purdy healthy for the long haul and ready to attack the critical games at the end of the year and in the postseason is priority No. 1. That's why having him sit out a few more games is important, as San Francisco proved that it can still hang with and beat some of the NFL's best teams without him.
Los Angeles' defense is not exactly stout, especially in its secondary, but Jones didn't exactly have a lot to work with in the 49ers' receiver room either. Kendrick Bourne exploded for 10 catches and 142 yards, Christian McCaffrey contributed eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Jake Tonges hauled in seven receptions for 41 yards and a score.
This well-rounded formula, somehow spearheaded by Jones, is clearly working for the 49ers. It is certainly a stroke of good fortune, but the team would be remiss if they benched Jones just to hurry Purdy back from injury.
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