49ers’ Jauan Jennings, Brock Purdy ‘found our stride’ entering stretch run
SANTA CLARA – Jauan Jennings and Brock Purdy are, if you will, the seventh-round wonders of the 49ers’ offensive world.
They’ve transformed themselves from draft afterthoughts into a red-hot touchdown tandem.
“I feel like we’ve found our stride and we’ve just got to keep it up,” Purdy said Wednesday.
Jennings is nearing the end of an outlandishly successful yet dramatic season, the fate of which could hinge on Saturday night’s game pitting the 49ers (12-4) against the Seattle Seahawks (13-3) at Levi’s Stadium for the NFC playoffs’ No. 1 seed and NFC West title.
Jennings has caught six touchdown passes from Purdy in the 49ers’ six-game win streak. No one saw this coming when Jennings got drafted 217th overall in 2020, or, even more so, once Purdy arrived two years later with the 262nd and final pick.
“I have nothing but love for J.J., and I know it’s vice versa,” Purdy said. “Together, we want to play with each other as long as we can. … The whole contract thing was what it was, but I was so excited to get him back and get going.”
Jennings’ contract runs out after this season, with his training camp stalemate yielding $3 million more in incentives rather than an extension. There’s no guarantee he or the 49ers are home again after Saturday night. They could win out all the way as a No. 1 seed through to Super Bowl LX here, or get bounced on the road as a wild card if they first lose to the Seahawks.
He’s already grabbed a career-high nine touchdown catches. Although Jennings said Sunday night, “I don’t have any favorites,” his 38-yard score provided the winning points in the 42-38 shootout with Chicago.
He’s scored in each of the past five games, the first 49ers wide receiver do so since Terrell Owens in 2001. Remarkably, Jennings has just 19 receptions over those five games, with six total touchdowns among them.
Statistically, 17.1% of his receptions this season have produced touchdowns (9-of-51), the seventh-best rate among receivers with at least five touchdowns. Seattle counterpart Jaxon Smith-Njigba has 10 touchdown catches in 155 targets (for an NFL-high 1,709 on 113 receptions).
Conversely, seven interceptions have come among his 84 targets (8.3%) for the NFL’s second-highest rate, behind only the Vikings’ Jalen Nailor (5-of-50; 10%), according to the Associated Press’ Josh Dubow.
It literally wasn’t surprising Jennings got targeted on the opening play Sunday night, resulting in a pick-six for the Bears to ignite the high-scoring, back-and-forth madness. Jennings scored last, however, and those were the decisive points.
“Football is football. I love it. I don’t care if it’s a shootout or not,” Jennings said afterward.
“We needed a big play in the fourth quarter. He was just so ready to catch that ball and react,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said Wednesday. “He’s been a huge target for us in the red zone (seven touchdowns). His size, his competitiveness, how he wins on routes. He’s been our guy.”
While Brandon Aiyuk’s season-long absence dominated headlines, Jennings assumed the No. 1 wide receiver role at split end like last season, and he’s delivered his own drama:
July 14: Publicly requests a trade or a new contract, a week before training camp.
July 27: Exits the fourth practice of camp with a calf issue, sparking an extended absence coinciding with a contract stalemate.
Sept. 1: Returns to practice, and two days later it’s revealed he can earn $3 million more via play-time incentives.
Sept. 14: Scores his first touchdown on a 42-yard catch-and-run for the winning points at New Orleans.
Sept. 28: After missing the home opener against Arizona with ankle and shoulder injuries, he breaks five ribs making a two-point conversion catch in a loss to Jacksonville.
Oct. 12: After those injuries kept him from the Oct. 2 overtime win at Los Angeles, Jennings gets into a sideline spat with coach Kyle Shanahan in a one-catch loss at Tampa Bay.
Nov. 2: Produces the go-ahead touchdown in an ultimate rout of the host New York Giants, while trade-deadline speculation swirled.
Nov. 24: Gets punched in the groin by Carolina’s Tre’Von Moehrig late in the 49ers’ win, and Jennings retaliates postgame with a punch. Moehrig got suspended one game, Jennings got fined $12,172.
Nov. 30: Jennings, as he did to Moehrig, angers Cleveland Browns’ defenders with trash talk they claimed was too personal.
Dec. 14: Returns from bye to score two touchdowns against the Titans.
Dec. 22: Scores in Indianapolis and mimics “The Grinch” by teasing a front-row fan with the football.
Dec. 28: Makes the game-winning, 38-yard touchdown reception, catching Purdy’s laser at the 18-yard line and never breaking stride toward the right pylon.
“Jauan is playing his best football,” Kubiak said. “It’s a huge challenge to be banged up, miss time in training camp and be expected to be a really productive player. He battled through all that stuff, mentally and physically.”
Added tight end George Kittle: “J.J., he’s a super-tough guy who wants to win, wants the ball and scores touchdowns, and if you have that kind of mindset, it gives you the opportunity to ignore those pains and just play through.”
Purdy, of course, has overcome turf-toe pains that kept him out 8-of-10 games to start the season, so having him and Jennings healthy is paying off. Added Purdy: “When I did come back and I was ready to roll, I definitely had a picture in my mind, ‘Alright, dude, I want to play this style of ball.’ ”
HEALTH WATCH
Kittle said he “absolutely” expects to play Saturday night, after a Dec. 22 ankle injury forced him out of a win in Indianapolis and on the sideline against the Bears.
Kittle practiced along with running back Christian McCaffrey (back) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (hip) as they’re tracking to play through their injuries, although the availability of left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) remains uncertain, general manager John Lynch said on KNBR 680-AM.
Williams and defensive lineman Keion White (groin) were not seen at the 5 p.m. rainy practice in the stadium.
DEFENSIVE ISSUES
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said opponents are springing previously unseen “concepts” on them this season, and that led to the Bears’ explosive plays Sunday night, including on Caleb Williams’ 35-yard touchdown pass for a 14-14 tie. “It hasn’t been a smooth rise, if you will. There’s been some ups and downs,” Saleh said. “When we give up explosive plays, we give up touchdowns. When we don’t, we hold them to field goals or less.”