Niners’ Jones beats chances, lets it fly in profession night

INGLEWOOD, Calif.– In the hours before Thursday night’s video game versus the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan approached quarterback Mac Jones and let him understand that the short-handed Niners were more than goal underdogs versus their department competitors.

“I don’t really pay attention to much to it,” Jones stated, chuckling. “Kyle came up to me, and he was pissed about it. He’s like, ‘Dude, I can’t believe they moved us to underdogs again,’ or like more [extreme underdogs] or whatever. And I’m like, ‘I don’t know what that means really, [but] like, yeah, let’s go kill them.’ He was pissed about it. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m pissed, too.'”

Jones stated he does not pay much attention to social networks and has little understanding on the inner functions of chances making, however Shanahan’s inspirational tactic appeared to work as the Niners’ backup quarterback provided among his finest profession efficiencies and the 49ers managed a 26-23 triumph regardless of missing out on much of their most significant stars.

The Niners went into the video game as 8.5-point underdogs, according to ESPN BET, and Thursday night’s win was their very first straight-out success with chances that huge given that 2011 versus the Philadelphia Eagles, when they were 9.5-point underdogs. It was likewise the biggest upset of the 2025 season up until now, going beyond the Cleveland Browns’ win versus the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 as 7.5-point underdogs.

San Francisco enhanced to 4-1 on the season and 3-0 in the NFC West in spite of missing out on beginning quarterback Brock Purdy, top-three wideouts Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ribs/ankle), and star tight end George Kittle. In addition, star protective end Nick Bosa is out for the season with a torn right ACL.

To open the video game, Jones was tossing to a collection of receivers and tight ends that had actually summoned no catches for the 49ers in 2024, with Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson beginning at receiver and Luke Farrell getting approval at tight end.

Jones fought through a sprained left knee and a constraining lower arm to end up 33-of-49 for 342 lawns with 2 goals and no interceptions for a passer score of 100.9.

“He played his ass off,” Shanahan stated. “He was unbelievable in the first half. Got banged up a little bit there in the second half, and battled through it, and protected the ball. Going against that defense and throwing the ball that many times and not having a turnover and protecting it like he did, I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”

With a couple of additional days to rest before a Week 6 journey to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Niners do not yet understand just how much longer they’ll require Jones to begin. The group ruled Purdy out Wednesday, and though he has actually shown his toe is still better than it was following the preliminary Week 1 injury, Shanahan stated there is no conclusive timeline on Purdy’s return.

“Everything we told you guys last week is true,” Shanahan stated. “He just reaggravated it, and it’s week-to-week. We don’t know how it’s going to heal, and hopefully it’ll be better tomorrow, and we’ll continue to go throughout the week.”

Jones and the Niners’ cobbled-together group of pass catchers opened the video game with a set of goal drives as he struck Tonges and running back Christian McCaffrey to stake San Francisco to a 14-0 lead.

For the majority of the night, Jones was on point. He had just 2 off-target tosses amongst his 49 efforts, a 4% mark that is his most affordable in a start considering that Week 12 of 2022 as a member of the New England Patriots. Jones even dealt with the Rams’ pass rush well, going 6-of-9 for 53 lawns and 4 very first downs when pressured.

A number of his tosses were to Bourne, whom the group signed before Week 2 versus New Orleans. Coming off a video game versus Jacksonville in which he had 3 drops, Bourne had another essential drop Thursday night and likewise had some problems lining up properly, however he compensated the errors by setting profession highs with 10 receptions for 142 lawns, consisting of 8 catches for very first downs.

“KB has brought so much energy, so much juice to this team, and we love and appreciate him so much,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk stated. “Guys that have played with him before knew that, but I think everyone that hasn’t has seen it right away. He’s definitely helped spark this team.”

As in San Francisco’s 3 other wins this season, the group likewise got crucial contributions from protective members of its 2025 draft class. Second-round defensive take on Alfred Collins required and recuperated a fumble at San Francisco’s objective line late in the 4th quarter to avoid a prospective game-winning goal, and novice security Marques Sigle was in on the last take on of Rams running back Kyren Williams to stop him short on fourth-and-1 at the Niners’ 11.

“[General manager] John Lynch is probably going to celebrate on that plane tonight,” linebacker Fred Warner stated. “Our young guys really coming and playing big for us. I mean all these games so far … and they’re just getting started.”