Listen to Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold as they break down the biggest NFL storylines each week on Inside the Huddle; watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky Sports NFL on October 15, with coverage under way from 1pm
Friday 13 October 2023 12:22, UK
The high-flying San Francisco 49ers have no weaknesses behind "legitimate star" Brock Purdy, believes Jeff Reinebold.
Is it the masterful Kyle Shanahan scheme? Is it the talent of the final pick of the Draft? A 5-0 start to the season for the 49ers has very much pointed to a bit of both. And ultimately, it does not matter.
Purdy has piloted Shanahan's side into Super Bowl favourite territory, more than holding up his end of the offensive bargain alongside touchdown machine Christian McCaffrey.
"They can say whatever you like about where Brock Purdy was drafted, but Brock Purdy is an elite-level quarterback right now, he's doing things nobody has done before," Reinebold said on Inside the Huddle.
"He doesn't just manage the game, we can take that title and throw it in the trash can. He is a legitimate star in the game.
"You look at him and say, 'load the box and stop McCaffrey', but you're not going to stop Deebo Samuel one-on-one all day and Brandon Aiyuk all day, that's not a recipe for success.
"They're a tough football team and what I like is they play the game like it's fun."
The Niners underlined their Championship credentials again in Week Six as they torched the Dallas Cowboys to extend their perfect start with a 42-10 victory, steamrolling what is widely-considered one of the league's most accomplished defenses.
Purdy threw three touchdown passes to George Kittle and another to fullback Kyle Juszczyk, while 2022 undrafted free agent Jordan Mason and McCaffrey ran in scores.
"I thought the 49ers would be able to run the ball on the Cowboys, the Cowboys had shown that if there was any chink in their armour defensively it was you could run the ball on them," added Reinebold.
"But Brock Purdy throws four touchdown passes, George Kittle goes off. How do you defend them?
"You take away the running back Christian McCaffrey, who is probably the best back in football right now, and then they can hit you with Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel.
"They have so many weapons behind a great offensive line. There's a lot of football to play, a lot can happen in a few months, but there are no weaknesses."
Shanahan resumed his pursuit of a long-awaited ring this season having seen his side's 2022 campaign derailed by injury to Purdy during the NFC Championship Game, having already initially lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo earlier in the year.
With one of the league's most dynamic offenses comes a talent-rich Steve Wilks defense that ranks third in total yards allowed and first in scoring.
"That was the point I took away," added Neil Reynolds. "All the players on offense, and then Nick Bosa has a sack, Fred Warner has an interception, you want your stars to lead the way.
"Sometimes you're lucky if you've got one, two, three stars. The talent on this team is incredible. They need to stay healthy, and I think they deserve to stay healthy.
"No other team in history has had to run out the clock on their Super Bowl chances, so the 49ers look like they can get back there."
You can watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky Sports NFL on October 15, with coverage under way from 1pm ahead of kick-off at 2.30pm; Week Six continues with the Cincinnati Bengals against the Seattle Seahawks from 6pm live on Sky
