Kittle impressed with Purdy's response to adversity in 49ers' win

Kittle impressed with Purdy's response to adversity in 49ers' win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 49ers' 34-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium was a bounce-back game for quarterback Brock Purdy.

And his outstanding performance did not surprise teammate George Kittle one bit.

Purdy had a nearly perfect game, completing 19 of his 26 attempts for 296 yards and three passing touchdowns, giving him a 149.8 rating. The quarterback also spread the ball around completed passes to seven different targets.

“I just go back to this,” Kittle said. “Brock started like 40-plus games in college. He had the highest of highs, he's had the lowest of lows. He's dealt with mistakes. He's had bad games in college.

“His confidence is still there, and that's all I wanted him to continue doing. He knows how to bounce back.”

Purdy did not crumble during the club’s three-game skid but simply made a few poor decisions that caused turnovers. The second-year play-caller threw five interceptions through three games after not turning the ball over once through the first five contests of the season.

“I don't think Brock played poorly the last couple games,” Kittle said. “Yeah, sure, there's a throw or two he probably wants back, but you look at the tape, he's still playing at a high level those three weeks that we lost.

"Just this time we were able to not turn the ball over, not have penalties, so we were able to be out there, and you can see the type of quarterback Brock is.”

Kittle was Purdy’s top receiver on Sunday, catching three of his four targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. His second-highest yard total and fourth touchdown of the season.

Purdy and the 49ers' offense did not commit any turnovers and their counterparts on the defensive side forced four takeaways. While there are plays that Purdy and the offense would like to have back, the group will head back to Santa Clara happy to watch the game film for the first time in a month.

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