49ers standouts vs. Raiders: Brock Purdy’s hot start, Jake Moody’s redemption (paywall)“The rookie missed a couple of tackles for the second consecutive preseason game, but that’s just because he is moving so fast. Martin had a sack and also later punched the ball out on a deep throw to a tight end, forcing an incompletion.
“He came around and had some really good hits,” Shanahan said. “He had that sack on a third down, and I saw a lot of good things. I am excited to watch the film on the plane.”
Dominick Puni to miss multiple weeks with PCL injury from 49ers-Raiders game
“It appears the 49ers avoided any serious injuries, which feels like a bigger win than the actual victory they recorded against the Raiders.”
49ers’ Brock Purdy reconnects with Brandon Aiyuk, relies on Ricky Pearsall in Las Vegas (paywall)
“Fans had heard of the promising Purdy-Pearsall connection all training camp.
What they showed in almost six minutes of game action was proof of concept.
They worked out together down in Florida during the offseason, and camp has largely allowed Purdy and Pearsall to focus on their chemistry sans Aiyuk and veteran Jauan Jennings, who has not practiced since late July with a calf injury (and a pending extension request).
“Ricky’s a real good route runner, sometimes he gets too concerned with beating the guy, understanding that he’s got to do it in the time of when Brock’s looking at him,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “That’s something those guys have really been working through and getting really good at.”
Purdy found Pearsall on the game’s first two plays from scrimmage to move the sticks. Then, on a third-and-18, Purdy went back to the well: a 21-yard strike to Pearsall, who ran a dig into the soft spot of the Raiders’ zone defense to preserve the drive.“
What we learned as Jake Moody’s game-winning 59-yard FG lifts 49ers over Raiders
“The Raiders had a chance to drive down the field in the final minute to attempt to win the game, but quarterback Cam Miller was intercepted by 49ers safety Jaylen Mahoney with 21 seconds remaining.
Third-string quarterback Carter Bradley threw two incompletions before Moody trotted on the field and kicked the 49ers to victory.
Jones completed 13 of 16 of his pass attempts for 135 yards and was intercepted once.
Bradley finished the game for the 49ers, completing 8 of 13 passes for 96 yards.
Robbie Chosen led 49ers receivers with five receptions for 92 yards. Ke’Shawn Vaughn paced the backfield with 24 yards on nine carries.“
“Bartch is a free spirit who has a kindred spirit in larger-than-life tight end George Kittle. They recently discussed a quote that captures their shared outlook: You don’t have to be fearless to be brave.
Bartch’s improbable path to the NFL hasn’t been his only adventure. He studied abroad in South Africa in college and served as a computer lab tutor for local children. He slept in the back of the “Green Hornet,” his 1995 Chevy Silverado, when he road-tripped from Jacksonville, Fla., to his hometown of McMinnville, Ore., after his rookie season. His mom noted he never has been burdened by “limiting beliefs” about the places he can go or what he can accomplish. He joined the track team as a senior at Blanchet and won a state title in the discus….
Bartch’s smoothies were nasty enough to gain national attention before the 2020 draft, with Bartch making the concoction live on ESPN during the NFL scouting combine. As prospects worked to wow scouts, Bartch nauseated the audience. The ingredients: seven scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, grits, peanut butter, a banana and red Gatorade.
“Ben would throw up because he’d eat so much food,” Rost said. “So then we decided he had to drink it. It was like, ‘You’ve got to figure out how to drink some protein.’ So he made this crazy smoothie. And then the smoothie made him puke because it was so disgusting. People are always like, ‘You must be the guy behind the smoothie.’ I disagree. It was mostly Ben’s idea of what to put in it.”…
The hard-to-keep-down smoothie was a reason Bartch began routinely knocking down linemen and linebackers late in his first season as a starter. He’d been a violent blocking tight end — Rost recalls him knocking off an opponent’s helmet with a crushing blow as a sophomore — but he packed an even bigger punch after packing on the pounds…..Bartch became an NFL prospect because he retained the movement skills of a tight end despite adding the equivalent of about 12 gallons of water to his frame during college. Foerster noted his flexibility and athleticism make Bartch a “good fit” for the 49ers’ offense, which requires offensive linemen to sprint to make second-level blocks.
“I wasn’t a fat kid my whole life, and that’s no disrespect to my brothers that are bigger dudes,” Bartch said. “But I think that’s been an advantage as far as being able to move and bend in different ways.”
Bartch has to work to remain a bigger dude, consuming about 5,200 calories daily to maintain his 315-pound frame. He said he has given thought to his post-football future when he can shed weight, but he’s in no rush to get started.
He’s still busy enjoying a life no one imagined for him when he was a third-string Division III tight end. Not even Bartch, a free spirit never burdened by limiting beliefs, fully envisioned the heights he’d reach and just how big he’d become.“