49ers’ George Kittle addresses Brock Purdy ‘game manager’ controversy

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle believes San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey should win the Most Valuable Player Award over quarterback Brock Purdy, but that doesn’t mean Kittle views Purdy as merely a “game manager.”

“There’s no one that manages the game quite like him,” Kittle sarcastically said about Purdy during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. “Isn’t it wild? Everyone just looks for, ‘Hey, what can I say today that people are going to argue with?’ And the one thing about 49ers fans is they like to argue with people who talk crap about any of their players, about their franchise.”

Multiple 49ers teammates and analysts defended Purdy against criticisms before and after former NFL MVP Cam Newton controversially labeled the final pick of the 2022 draft a “game manager” rather than a “game-changer.” The perception, fair or not, is that Purdy is fortunate to play alongside noteworthy talents such as Kittle, McCaffrey, offensive tackle Trent Williams, dual-threat weapon Deebo Samuel and others.

Kittle disagrees and seemingly doesn’t want to hear about Purdy failing to make highlight-reel plays in the same ways Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens starter Lamar Jackson do.

“He’s playing the quarterback position at an incredibly high level,” Kittle added. “The way he drops back, his footwork, his reads, using his eyes to throw people off, the way that he gets the ball to his guys in space. I mean, he’s playing at such a high level right now, and the consistency of it, too. It’s hard to go out there and play football consistently, 24/7.”

According to ESPN stats, Purdy leads the NFL with a 76.0 adjusted QBR, a 119.0 passer rating, 29 touchdown passes and an average of 9.9 yards per pass attempt. He’s also second with 3,795 passing yards and a 69.8% completion percentage.

As of late Tuesday morning, oddschecker listed Purdy as the betting favorite at -200/-225 odds to win the MVP Award. He and the 11-3 49ers host the 11-3 Ravens on Christmas night.

NF

Part of being a quarterback in the National Football League is knowing how to work a podium. Already one of the hardest jobs in the world on the field and in the meeting room, things don’t get any easier in front of a room full of reporters, especially after a loss. Well, following some postgame comments, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky didn’t make it any easier on himself: Pointing The Finger “It ended up being one-on-one and [George Pickens] ended up taking a different angle than I was anticipating, so I tried to give him a 50-50 shot and the other kid made a good play,” said Trubsiky when asked about the interception after the game.

Watching the play back, it’s tough to tell from the broadcast angle, but Pickens does look to be in an awkward position and maybe even mistimes his jump on the would be interception. But It doesn’t matter if Pickens closed his eyes and laid down in the middle of the route. Part of being a QB is taking accountability for not only yourself but for the actions of the entire team. And I realize that’s a lot easier said than done, especially when you just got benched in a must-win game and I’m typing from a keyboard, but that’s simply part of the job description in the NFL, and something a former top-five pick should know.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Others in the press room were also surprised by Trubisky’s response, asking for clarification on his statement, to which he doubled down: “George [Pickens] took a different angle than where I saw him coming out so I just tried to throw it where I saw him last,” said Trubisky when asked to clarify whether he was referring to the angle of Pickens or the defensive back.

So I don’t know. Trubisky left that field with a look of defeat. It probably took all he had to get up to that podium and answer most of the questions respectfully and professionally. But throwing a teammate under the bus is never the answer at QB, no matter how wrong that player is, but especially in light of something as simple as a route adjustment. In what could have been his final appearance as a Steelers QB, Trubisky finished the game throwing for 169 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions (the second one he took credit for) and 31.7 QBR (out of 100).

Both the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots are three games away from making the wrong kind of NFL history. New England’s chance at infamy isn’t all that surprising given its lack of star power, as well its pitiful overall offensive numbers this season. Rotating between Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe at quarterback all year hasn’t been a winning (or high-scoring formula) for head coach Bill Belichick. The two-headed rushing attack led by third-year pro Rhamondre Stevenson and three-time Pro Bowler Ezekiel Elliott has produced modest numbers on the ground at 51.6 and 37.3 rushing yards per game, respectively.

Pats fans had low expectations for the team’s passing game entering the campaign and somehow, it’s been even worse than imagined. Sixth-round rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas leads all New England players with just 443 receiving yards and wideout Kendrick Bourne (who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 8) paces the group in receiving yards per game at 50.8. As a team, the Patriots have gone over 100 rushing yards five times this season but, on each occasion, the numbers were split fairly evenly between Elliott and Stevenson.

The closest a player has come to reaching the century mark on the ground in 2023 was when Stevenson carried 21 times for 98 yards in the team’s Week 12 loss to the New York Giants. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has come the closest to a 100-yard receiving day for the squad this year when he had four catches for 90 yards in New England’s Week 14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Green Bay’s spot in this conversation is a bit more surprising, given the team’s middle of the pack offense in 2023. With quarterback Jordan Love under center, the Packers rank 17th in passing yards per game (225.7) and between Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon and others, the group is 21st in rushing yards per contest (103.0).

Jones is typically the lead back and has one Pro Bowl honor to his credit but has missed six games this season due to injury. Dillon has come closest to 100 yards on the ground in a game this year, posting 76 yards on 20 carries in Green Bay’s Week 5 loss vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. Multiple Packers wideouts have gone over 90 yards receiving in a game in 2023 but have yet to reach triple digits. Fifth-round rookie Dontayvion Wicks has been the closest to 100, recording career highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (97) in Green Bay’s Week 15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Interim head coach Antonio Pierce has presented a compelling case for securing the permanent position with the Las Vegas Raiders following a resounding 63-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. The big win not only marked the team’s most dominant performance in recent memory but also established a franchise record for the highest point total in a single game. Despite that impressive feat, not everyone is fully convinced that Pierce is the ideal candidate for the long-term coaching role. Former Raiders Pro Bowl fullback Marcel Reece, who served as an advisor to owner Mark Davis from 2020 to 2022, remains cautiously optimistic, expressing the need for Pierce to demonstrate more before receiving an endorsement for the job. “I don’t know yet if I’m being honest. When you get a job at an interim position in the middle of the season, it’s really hard to evaluate someone. You’re not playing with your players.

You’re not even necessarily playing with your coaching staff and you’re just working with what you have.” Reece’s perspective is grounded in recent experience, having worked with the Raiders as recently as last season. While acknowledging the significance of the victory against the Chargers, Reece emphasizes that a decisive win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16 would carry greater weight and serve as a substantial statement in Pierce’s favor.

It’s important to note that the Raiders faced a setback with a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, reminding observers that individual game outcomes must be considered within the broader context. Mark Davis, the team owner, is poised to evaluate Pierce’s overall performance, taking into account the interim coach’s 3-3 record and the challenging road to playoff contention. Pierce’s opportunity to secure the full-time coaching position exists, but the journey is not without challenges.

The three victories under Pierce’s leadership came against teams with a combined record of 15-27, leaving room for scrutiny regarding the team’s ability to triumph against opponents with winning records. As the Raiders face the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and Indianapolis Colts to conclude the season, all of whom are in playoff contention, Pierce has a chance to solidify his candidacy by demonstrating success against top-tier NFL teams.

Mark Davis, having experienced the consequences of hasty coaching decisions such as the Josh McDaniels hiring just a year ago, remains cautiously open-minded in the quest to find the next head coach. While impressed with Pierce’s contributions, Davis is exercising patience in the evaluation process, understanding the significance of a comprehensive assessme