It’s uncertain whether Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave will play against the Baltimore Ravens.
On Monday afternoon, Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, gave updates on injuries. Kalia Davis, a defensive tackle who departed the game early in Week 15 due to an ankle injury, sprained her high ankle and will be sidelined for a few weeks.
Davis, wearing a walking boot, emerged from the locker room directly in front of me, and the writing was on the wall. Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave were out with injuries, so Davis has been covering for them.
Armstead is expected to be day-to-day after missing several games due to injuries to his knee and foot. As per Shanahan, the team will assess the situation this week. Hargrave, who had a hamstring ailment and missed the Cardinals game, was also affected.
Regarding Hargrave’s and Armstead’s availability for Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, Shanahan sounded uncertain. When Shanahan was asked if the 49ers will scout the free agent market and think about bringing in a seasoned player like Ndamukong Suh, Kyle said that the topic hasn’t been brought up yet.
Additionally sidelined are edge rusher Clelin Ferrell (ankle) and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir (rib contusion).
Jauan Jennings, a wide receiver, is undergoing the concussion protocol.
Brock Purdy, the quarterback, is no longer experiencing any symptoms related to the non-throwing shoulder injury he sustained in Week 15.
Throughout the week, close attention will be paid to running back Elijah Mitchell, tight end Ross Dwelley, and linebacker Oren Burks. Following a knee injury, right guard Spencer Burford is making a comeback to practice.
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Brock Purdy or Christian McCaffrey? Here’s who George Kittle would vote as NFL MVP
The buzz around the San Francisco 49ers is growing.
The best squad in the NFC is aware of how strong their case is to be named the NFL MVP in 2023. In light of this, quarterback Brock Purdy expressed his support on Sunday following the 49ers’ 45-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. George Kittle, a four-time Pro Bowl tight end, went all in on Monday.
They have a different candidate than you may expect.
Over Zoom on Monday, Kittle said to Yahoo Sports, “I’d vote for Christian.” “Create a best quarterback award if you wish to win one. The MVP should be retained for the most valuable player.
Christian McCaffrey, the running back for the 49ers, is without a doubt one of the top players in the NFL. McCaffrey leads the league in both rushing and receiving touchdowns with 20, and he has 1,801 yards from scrimmage. With his league-high 301 touches, McCaffrey has been a major asset to a team’s attack more than any other skill player.
Thus, Kittle wants you to hear his argument for McCaffrey even if Purdy deserves a lot of credit for having the finest season of any quarterback in the NFL this year (more on that in a moment).
According to the tight end, athletes like McCaffrey and Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill “completely change” defense schemes.
“Everything needs to shift,” Kittle declared. “You have to account for people that, every time they touch the ball, [it] might be a 70-yard touchdown, so your game plan can’t be the same. Indeed, the quarterbacks must pass the ball to him. And I understand that. However, how is Tyreek or Christian not the most useful player considering how many times they have simply carried the team, placed them on his back, scored touchdowns, and won games?
The debate raises other issues related to an exceptionally wide-open MVP contest.
Do McCaffrey and Purdy strengthen or offset each other’s MVP cases?
The last 10 NFL MVP honors and 15 of the last 16 have gone to quarterbacks. As of Monday, eight of the top 10 betting favorites, including all five spots, were quarterbacks, according to Vegas odds, which anticipate that happening again.
Kittle questions whether such bias is warranted.
Speaking in collaboration with Alka-Seltzer, Kittle remarked, “I know that the quarterback position is the most important position in sports because if you don’t have your quarterback, it’s really hard to win football games, and you can see that all over the league this entire season.” But the MVP need to be more than just the title of “best quarterback”
It’s unclear how much Purdy and McCaffrey’s cases complement or balance one another.
On the one hand, every one of them is having an effect on the NFL landscape and has been a major part of the 49ers’ 11-3 league start. However, given how much they’re both contributing, along with playmakers like Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk, how indispensable are they to the team’s success?
“Throughout my career, I’ve been around a few MVPs, and these two stand out to me the most,” Shahanan remarked in Arizona on Sunday. All you need to do is examine the movie or the figures. I believe it’s very clear which one you say is more essential to you. And that ought to strengthen it even more if they are both significant to you.
QB – SF – #13
RB – SF – #23
Purdy said that McCaffrey should be given the go-ahead because of his tenacity, explosiveness, contact balance, and ability to fight for yards after contact.
After McCaffrey’s three-touchdown game against Arizona and his four-touchdown performance, he declared, “Dude, I think Christian should be MVP.” “I genuinely think that. He takes care of everything for us. He can catch the ball and run the ball well; he is a multitasker. That, in my opinion, is an MVP.
In order to justify “a great team around me” for his league-best 119.0 quarterback rating, 29 passing touchdowns, and 7.6% passing touchdown rate, Purdy minimized his own incredible season. The only quarterback with better completion percentages (71.0%) than Purdy (69.8%) is Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins, whose pass plays often have less depth than Purdy’s.
Purdy remarked, “I’m trying to do my part and help our team win.” “I believe we just have an MVP team, but I’m very honored to hear [MVP consideration].”
This year’s ballot will not include that as an option.
Kittle on Purdy’s value: ‘Our offense is the best it’s ever been in my career’
Purdy is the clear favorite to win MVP at -200 after 15 NFL weeks, with the exception of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Monday night trip to the Seattle Seahawks, according to BetMGM.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens is ranked second at +500, and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys is ranked third at +600. McCaffrey’s +1800 is sixth, behind Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
Though he gives McCaffrey the nod, Kittle feels Purdy deserves that thought as well.
Kittle remarked, “He’s distributing the ball to us at such a high level and he’s doing a great job at it.” It’s evident from these plays that he frequently goes off-script—not just a three-step drop, hitch, and throw. Not only are we running slants but also over-balls.We don’t employ a simple offensive scheme. The offense under coach [Kyle] Shanahan is very sophisticated, very in-depth, and it varies every week.
Every week, we re-learn more than 150 plays. Brock is the one who needs to read it or hear it before he can lead us to commit that offense.
From being the last choice in the 2022 NFL Draft to being a quarterback worthy of leading that sophisticated attack, Purdy has blossomed. He has also recovered from surgery earlier in the year to repair a torn UCL in his throwing arm.
“You see all the off-schedule stuff where he’s just dropping dimes, keeping his eyes upfield,” Kittle remarked. “Who’s talking about Brock like, ‘Oh, he just has all these great players, he has a great coach, and he has a great defense?'” Look, this is the best offense I have ever seen in my career.
“We have excellent players. However, he is the one passing the ball, and we are able to stay on the field because of how effectively he is doing it.
Shanahan concurred with that scenario, stating, “thank goodness,” that he was spared the vote and could choose between McCaffrey—”one of the best players I’ve been around”—and Purdy, a quarterback who possesses the uncommon ability to “see the whole field.” Purdy’s success, Shanahan intimated, goes beyond the scheme the coach designed.
Nothing is beyond his power, according to Shanahan. He has been directing our offense with excellent command, and the quantity of plays he has made over the past two years has surpassed that of any quarterback I have ever seen.”He’s been awesome,”
