49ers Notebook: George Kittle’s dazzling touchdown catch; Brock Purdy, dual-threat quarterback; Sam Okuayinonu’s amazing journey; Bosa’s quick-footed performance

The mood in the 49ers locker room was decidedly upbeat following their 30-13 home win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

That comes as no surprise, considering how badly the 49ers needed a win after two consecutive disappointing road losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams in previous weeks. The 49ers picked things up a notch at practice last week, and on Sunday it paid off with a one-sided win.

"(Practice) was chippy," linebacker Fred Warner said following Sunday's win. "I think it was exactly what it needed to be. I mean, you dropped two losses, especially the one last week (against the Rams). It had a sour taste in our mouth. Yeah, I think it was the right type of week."

Among the highlights to come from Sunday's game were a catch to remember from tight end George Kittle and the continued impressive footwork of quarterback Brock Purdy, both of which were popular topics of discussion when head coach Kyle Shanahan and 49ers players talked with reporters after the game. We'll dive into that and more in this version of 49ers Notebook.

One for the highlight reel

No play in Sunday's win was as good as the touchdown catch made by George Kittle, which will go down as one of the best of his storied career.

Kittle made the catch on a 3rd-and-10 late in the second quarter with the 49ers up 13-0. Purdy hurled a pass high in the air towards the end zone for Kittle, who leaped up among three defenders to make the catch, then held onto the ball after hitting the ground.

Wide receiver Jauan Jennings said the play was reminiscent of the Hail Mary pass at the end of Friday night's game between the University of Miami and Virginia Tech that would have given Tech an improbable win if the pass wasn't ruled incomplete after a replay review.

"That was outrageous," Jennings said. "I was just like, 'Ain't no way.' Literally I thought about the Miami Hurricane Hail Mary attempt, and I'm like, 'That was that same (play) but he grabbed it.'"

Offensive tackle Trent Williams reportedly called it the best catch he's seen, which Kittle obviously appreciated.

"That's saying a lot coming from Trent Williams," Kittle said. "He's played a lot of football, so, yeah, it means a lot. Like I said, he's played a lot of football. So if he says that's really good, makes me really happy."

Interestingly enough, Kittle didn't particularly seem to care for the decision head coach Kyle Shanahan made to call that particular play. He told reporters that the play was one that was originally called from a much deeper distance on the field, so he got concerned when it was called close to the end zone.

"I just wasn't really confident in the play call because that was something we had called originally from way farther out," Kittle said. "And when he called it from the ten, I had to double check with Brock to make sure it was the right play. And I was like, all right, man, just throw it. And he just threw it."

Purdy said, "'I was like, I just need to give my guy a shot here and give him a chance,' so I just put it up for him and let him come down with it. But he made a great play, way better than a throw that was. He made the play. That's George."

When asked, Kittle wasn't ready to say for sure exactly where the catch ranks among his career receptions but acknowledged it was somewhere near the top.

"I might have to get back to you on that. I have no idea," Kittle said. "I'll call it top five, though, probably. I have no idea. I just finished, man."

Bosa's fast afternoon

Here's an interesting stat to come out of Sunday's game, per NFL Next Gen Stats -- Bosa averaged a 0.51-second "get-off" on the day, which was the quickest by any player in a single game over the past seven seasons.

Bosa finished the day with nine pressures and one sack, although he could have had more. He said after the game that the fact that 6-4, 235-pound Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett is difficult to bring down contributed to him not having more than one sack on the day.

"When you win quick on a rush and you have four or five yards and he sees you coming, it's tough," Bosa said. "But I think on a couple of my missed ones, some other guys cleaned it up, so that's good."

Okuayinonu's story

It's been a long road for 49ers defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu to get to where he was on Sunday afternoon, to say the least.

The 26-year-old Okuayinonu (6-1, 269) has been a surprise contributor for the 49ers so far this season with a sack in last Sunday's loss to the Rams and a forced fumble in the win over the Patriots. He first joined the NFL in 2022 as an undrafted free agent signing of the Tennessee Titans, then after spending time on the Titans' practice squad in 2022, he wound up with the 49ers' practice squad late in the 2023 season. He re-signed with the 49ers on a reserve/future contract in February, then opened some eyes with a good training camp showing in July and August. Okuayinonu was on and off the roster early in the season, but now he has an opening with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave out for the year due to a triceps injury.

Sunday's game was the latest chapter in a fascinating story that is still in the process of being written.

"My whole life's really been adversity," Okuayinonu told reporters Sunday. "I grew up in Liberia on the West Coast of Africa. I was born during a civil war out there. Me and my mom migrated to America at the age of 12. I started playing football in my senior year in high school. I went to a couple junior colleges because I was fresh to the game. I'm very new to football -- I'm still learning the game of football."

Bosa said on Sunday he's liked what he's seen from day one out of Okuayinonu, whom he praised for stepping up on Sunday.

"I always knew what he had in his body," Bosa said. "He came in last year late, and then you see him in camp, he had a really strong camp, and then he had an injury -- I think a hamstring or something. So it kind of set him back. He probably played no more than 15 plays (against the Patriots) and probably affected ten of them. So to have a guy like that, to give some of our starters a rest and make an impact like that, it's huge for us."

It'll be interesting to see where this opportunity leads for Okuayinonu, who sounds like he's going to have as much fun with it as he can.

"I love it all, because at the end of the day it makes a great story," Okuayinonu said. "I'm the guy who kind of prides himself on facing things head-on and attacking adversity."

Another defensive line surprise

The 49ers had six total sacks on Sunday -- one from Bosa, 2.5 from defensive tackle Kevin Givens, 1.5 from defensive tackle Maliek Collins, and one from defensive tackle Evan Anderson, who is another player getting an opportunity due to injuries.

Anderson (6-3, 326) is an undrafted rookie from Florida Atlantic who made his NFL debut on Sunday. He was part of the practice squad earlier in the week after being waived at the end of the preseason and on Sunday found himself in the thick of things after defensive tackle Jordan Elliott left the game due to an ankle injury.

"We had two guys on practice squad, and they battled it out all week to see who would get the run and he won," Shanahan said of Anderson on Sunday. "He was going to be a part of that four-person rotation, and then losing Jordan Elliott in the game made him much more important, because you only have three left and that's why he got to play probably more than we expected him to. It seemed like he did a good job out there. I'll definitely watch the tape, but it's always good to get some young guys some experience and especially doing it after a win."

Dual-threat Brock

Brock Purdy set a career passing benchmark on Sunday, becoming the quarterback with the highest passer rating (112.6) over his first 25 starts since the AFL-NFL merger, according to CBS Sports. But Purdy, who threw for 288 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 15-of-27 passing on Sunday, has been doing a lot more than just throwing the ball downfield in recent games.

Purdy has been keeping plays alive with his legs as of late, which is a skill he's always had but hasn't always needed to show at the NFL level. Along the way he's been proving his versatility as a quarterback, and proving there isn't a play the 49ers can't call for him.

"I think Brock, since his first game playing here, there hasn't been a type of play," Shanahan said. "He is very good in the drop-back game, play-action game. He's good on the bootlegs and stuff. We don't call too many like zone reads and things with him, I think he'd be capable of it, but we're not trying to make a living off that. But Brock has been one of the most consistent players in the league since the first game he's played."

Purdy might not be quite as electric as some of the game's top dual-threat quarterbacks, but he said on Sunday he has enough of a spark to make big plays with his legs when he needs to.

"I think my ten-yard split, just to give you guys some perspective, is faster than Christian's [running back Christian McCaffrey] and Deebo [wide receiver Deebo Samuel]. I think you guys can fact check me, but that's what I mean. I think I just have enough to get out of the pocket and make a play, pick up five, seven yards here or there. So I'm not Lamar Jackson by any means, but anyways, just do what it takes."

Purdy said on Sunday he thinks of himself as a pass-first quarterback, but he's more than ready to take off running if the situation calls for it.

"I'm not dropping back thinking I'm gonna throw and then just run and try to make a play," Purdy said. "It's not like that. You know, I'm still, I'm a quarterback. I'm trying to go through my reads and hit my guys and move the chains that way, and that's the position that I play and I take pride in that.

"And so when something's not there and teams drop eight and they're rushing three, and last week we saw a play where they dropped nine and rushed two. And so for me, it's like knowing that, like, I'm still going to go through my progression, try to hit my guys in windows when I can, but if not, then I feel like, you know, I have, you know, just, just the right amount of athleticism to move and make plays. So I don't need to be a freak athlete and all that kind of stuff. I know who I am. But if something presents itself, then I'm willing to do what it takes for our team to move the chains and use my legs."

With the 49ers expected to fork over a hefty contract extension sometime next year to keep Purdy signed through the long term, it's probably preferable that he avoids taking contact as much as possible. But he's also trusted to make the right decision whenever he leaves the pocket.

"We would rather see him throwing that ball instead of running it, but he's an athlete," left tackle Trent Williams said. "He's been doing it since college so it shouldn't be nothing new to anybody. He's an athletic guy, he can run, and he's smart about it too. He knows how to get down and get out of bounds."

Not about to quit his day job

Linebacker Fred Warner looked natural during his 45-yard pick six against the Patriots on Sunday, but he's not interested in making pass catching a habit outside of when he intercepts a ball.

Warner told reporters Sunday he had his time on offense in high school, but he likes where he is now much better.

"Played a little tight end in high school, but it wasn't really for me, man," Warner said. "I'm more of a, you know, 'control your destiny' out there. At tight end, you might get a catch, you might not, you know what I'm saying? So it's all good."