SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers know their high-powered offense will need to carry the load if they are going to make a deep playoff run.
The performance in their first game back from the bye week was just the kind of game the Niners will need.
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes and the 49ers started the stretch run of their season with a 37-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
“For us every single game, with the guys that we have on the field, that’s our standard is to go out to move the ball, put up points, regardless of who we’re playing," Purdy said. "We know that we’re talented and we have guys across the board — receiver, tight end, running back. For us, that’s always going to be our standard.”
The 49ers (10-4) came back from their bye week and looked extremely sharp on offense against the overmatched Titans (2-12) by scoring on their first five possessions of a game for the first time since the 2021 season.
Purdy threw two touchdown passes to Jauan Jennings, another on a 1-yard jump pass to George Kittle that coach Kyle Shanahan said he usually gives his quarterback a hard time for trying.
“But when it works, we call him Michael Jordan,” Shanahan said. “We like cleats and being able to drive the ball like that. But sometimes he’s got to use another club and it’s cool that he’s got that.”
Purdy finished 23 for 30 for 295 yards and converted four first downs with his legs, including a 26-yard scramble that was the longest run of the season for the Niners.
“Brock was awesome today,” said Christian McCaffrey, who scored on a 1-yard TD run. “He did a great job commanding the huddle, made some plays with his feet, which were great. He threw the ball downfield well and guys made plays. Brock was Brock.”
Rookie Cam Ward threw a touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm in the second quarter and another in the fourth to defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Ward finished with 170 yards passing as the Titans were unable to build on the momentum from a win over Cleveland last week and remained in a three-way tie for the worst record in the NFL. Tennessee hasn't won back-to-back games since November 2022.
The Titans blew a good opportunity late in the first half when Ward missed a wide-open Van Jefferson on a deep shot and then Joey Slye missed a 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half to keep San Francisco's lead at 17-10.
The Niners extended the lead to 14 points when Purdy connected with Jennings for the second time on the opening possession. Tennessee went three-and-out on its first two drives of the half and never had a chance at a comeback with the Niners controlling the ball by converting 9 of 15 third downs.
“You’ve got to be able to get off the field,” interim coach Mike McCoy said. “When you convert at that high rate, that percentage, it’s tough. That’s when you give up all the points. So you’ve got to be able to get off the field on third down.”
Simmons put together an impressive stat line in a losing effort.
He recorded a strip sack against Purdy early in the fourth quarter and then caught a 1-yard TD pass on the ensuing possession for his second career touchdown reception.
This marked just the sixth time since sacks became official in 1982 that a player had a sack, a forced fumble and a TD catch in the same game with J.J. Watt doing it twice in 2014 for Houston, with Mike Vrabel (2007), Jared Allen (2017) and Barry Krauss (1982) the others to do it.
Titans: Three safeties left with injuries in the first half and didn't return: Xavier Woods (hamstring), Mike Brown (ankle) and Kevin Winston (hamstring). ... G Kevin Zeitler (groin), WR Van Jefferson (back) and LB Cedric Gray (concussion) all left in the second half.
49ers: DT Jordan Elliott was scratched after injuring his knee before the game. ... WR Ricky Pearsall hurt his ankle on the first play from scrimmage, but returned to catch six passes for 96 yards. He left the game late with a knee injury that the team is hopeful is just minor. ... OL Spencer Burford hurt his ankle, but returned.
Titans: Host Kansas City on Sunday.
49ers: Visit Indianapolis on Dec. 22.
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