George Kittle combats scoring drought by noting that ‘Niners are winning’
SANTA CLARA — A grin washed over Brock Purdy’s face Thursday when asked if he feels any guilt about not getting George Kittle the ball more, or if that’s a moot point when the 49ers keep scoring 30 points and keep winning.
“Everyone has their big games. It’s just sort of how the play calls go,” Purdy responded. “If it were up to me, I’d love to have all my guys, including George, go for 150 every game and four touchdowns. But it’s just the nature of the game, and every game is different.”
Sunday night’s game is against the Cowboys, who’ll be looking to avenge playoff losses to the 49ers each of the past two seasons. Last January, with the score tied 9-9, Purdy and Kittle improvised for a 30-yard completion to midfield, sparking a go-ahead touchdown drive in the 49ers’ 19-12 divisional-playoff win.
“That was nice, right?” Kittle said of that catch. “… When the ball’s thrown your way, you have to make the most of your opportunity because there are a lot of mouths to feed on this offense.”
He did exactly that last game, converted with a fourth-down reception on his only target in a 35-16 win over Arizona. He also had a fourth-down reception in the season-opening win at Pittsburgh. This is Year 7 for Kittle, and anyone knows his receptions are typically timely rather than gratuitous, while his blocking prowess is instrumental for a red-hot offense ranked third in scoring (31.3 points per game) and second in yards (398.0)
“Niners are winning football games, I’m playing well in the run game,” Kittle said. “As long as I’m playing to my standard, I can only control what I can control. Kyle’s calling plays, and we have six guys who when they touch the ball, you don’t know what’s going to happen – they can score a touchdown, they can break tackles.”
Christian McCaffrey is the catalyst of those playmakers, leading the NFL in rushing (459 yards) and producing a team-high seven touchdowns. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk each have two touchdowns. Even Purdy has two touchdown runs, and rookie Ronnie Bell has one scoring grab, after which Kittle went and retrieved the football as a cherished memento for the rookie.
Perhaps what is so noteworthy about Kittle getting personally shut out of the scoring spree is this: he scored a career-high 11 touchdowns last season, including seven in the last four regular-season games as Purdy’s life saver. Kittle has at least one catch in all 86 games he’s played.
“Sure, I love getting the football and running in space. It’s fun,” Kittle added. “If those aren’t the plays being called, I’ll do what I can, either to get those guys open or block my butt off. I’ve been doing that pretty well so far.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan recently remarked how it’s not as if he dials up player’s numbers for a play, but rather allows the play design and the defensive mismatch dictate where the ball goes.
“I’ve never played the Madden (video) game, but it’s not like you can say, ‘Oh, I’m going to throw it to George and then throw it to George.’ It just doesn’t work like that,” offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. “There’s a coverage, you read it and you do the best you can.”
Added Purdy: “I want to feed all my guys as best as possible across the board every single game. I’m doing what I’m asked within the offense, trying to move the ball, put up points, and win. George has done a tremendous job, obviously, in the run game, and in the pass game when the ball does come his way.”
PRACTICE REPORT
Almost all 49ers were back on the practice field Thursday, about 75 hours before kickoff. Returning from a Wednesday hiatus were cornerback Charvarius Ward (heel), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (ankle), running back Christian McCaffrey and left tackle Trent Williams, the latter two of whom are not injured and were given time to rest.
Still limited were Deebo Samuel (ribs, knee) and Jauan Jennings (shin), while fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk remains full-go after missing the Sept. 21 win over Arizona because of a shoulder injury.
Running back Elijah Mitchell remained out a week after sustaining a knee injury in practice. Jon Feliciano, a backup offensive lineman who plays special teams, is progressing through concussion protocol and ran on the side.
For the Cowboys, left tackle Tyron Smith practiced for the first time since sustaining a knee injury that sidelined him the past two games.