Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers’ home-opening rout

SANTA CLARA – For the fifth time in Kyle Shanahan’s 10 seasons as coach, the 49ers are off to a 2-0 start. Never, however, have the 49ers in their 81-season history opened with back-to-back blowouts by at least 20 points each, be that under Shanahan, Walsh, Seifert, Mariucci, or whoever.

They routed the jet-lagged Rams 27-7 in an Australian eye-opener, then clobbered the Dolphins 35-13 in Sunday’s home opener.

Here are five things that have caught my eye:

1. RECEIVERS’ GLASS HALF-FULL

Another week, another wide receiver is sacrificed to injury, and that declining depth is indeed a concern. But look at who’s still catching Brock Purdy’s precise passes: George Kittle, Mike Evans, Deebo (One Drop Per Game) Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, and more.

It’s not great, but the 49ers can survive losing De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle surgery) and Demarcus Robinson (high-ankle sprain), not to mention Ricky Pearsall’s season-ending knee surgery in camp.

“We’re confident in the guys we have behind them,” Juszczyk said Sunday, “with (Jacob) Cowing, (Jordan) Watkins, (KhaDarel) Hodge … ”

“And Deebo,” Kittle interrupted. “Also Mike Evans. Did you guys know I’m a huge fan of Mike Evans?”

A Brandon Aiyuk comeback is not an option, coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed with a wry smile when asked postgame. Another wide receiver will be added, likely either Wesley Grimes or Will Pauling off the practice squad.

2. PURDY-PURDY-PURDY

The 49ers have had three quarterbacks win NFL MVP honors: John Brodie (1970), Joe Montana (1989, ’90), and Steve Young (1992, ’94). Linebacker Fred Warner is campaigning for Purdy as the next in line, as are others who want Purdy to be seen as more than the NFL Draft’s 2022 Mr. Irrelevant.

“He’s unbelievable. Can he take it to another level? Yeah. But he’s already in the category of somebody that is special,” McCaffrey said. “I’ve been answering that question for years. Everyone is, ‘Are you shocked how good he is?’ Then next week, ‘Are you shocked … ?’ Then the next year, ‘Are you shocked?’ Now I’m not shocked. He’s special.”

Purdy chatted pregame with the NFL’s 1984 MVP, Dan Marino, the Dolphins’ legend and the reason Purdy wears No. 13.

3. HUNDRED CLUB

McCaffrey has scored 100 touchdowns in his 10-year career out of Stanford. It’s evenly split: 32 rushing touchdowns and 18 receiving both at Carolina (2017-22) and on the 49ers.

Only 10 players have scored more touchdowns in 49ers’ history, including Jerry Rice’s 187, Kittle’s 53 and Hugh McElhenny’s 51.

“The accolades and stuff are nice but I know I can always get better. I just enjoy playing football,” McCaffrey said. “If you get accolades, great. We want to win.”

Added Juszczyk: “It’s insane. The guy’s scored 600 points by himself. It’s the beginning of what will go down as a Hall of Fame career and I don’t think he’s going to end at 100.”

4. BOSA ‘FELT LIKE MYSELF’

Nick Bosa’s consistent pass rush paid off with a split sack but he also drew two holding penalties and, most important, is stoked about his surgically repaired right knee. Said Bosa: “I felt a lot better this week physically. My knee kind of adapted after the first game. I felt like myself.”

The 49ers’ pass rush can not be a one-Bosa band, and he endorsed his supporting cast. “We have a lot of guys who haven’t had this big of roles before. Obviously the rookies (Romello Height, Gracen Halton) and Keion (White), and Osa (Odighizuwa),” Bosa said. “We’re going to get better as we go. As long as we’re taking steps in the right direction and winning games, that’s all that matters.”

That unit has lost Alfred Collins (knee), Sam Okuayinonu (foot) and, on Sunday, James Thompson Jr. (ankle), so Shanahan said the search remains for reinforcements. Defensive end Mykel Williams can resume practicing and get activated after two more games.

5. PURDY-TO-EVANS

No combination has looked as artistic as Purdy completing passes to Evans, and not just for third-down conversions or, as was the case in Week 1, a jump-ball touchdown. Sunday’s showpiece came when Purdy pump-faked the defense and finely found Evans in stride for a 27-yard catch-and-run to the 1 in the third quarter. The defense dictated that Purdy look away from Deebo Samuel and seek a double-covered Evans. “Brock just stayed with him, waited for

him to clear him and it was a perfect ball,” Shanahan said. “If it wouldn’t have been a perfect ball, it would have been an interception because the guy was looking to undercut it. He just faded it over the top of him. It was a dime.”

Said Purdy: “For Mike to use his length to reach out and get the ball and make a play like that was pretty special.”

6. KITTLE’S ACHILLES TEST

Eight months since his right Achilles popped in Philadelphia, Kittle was sprinting down the spine of his home field for a 40-yard reception to open the second half.

“They blitzed and tried to stop the run and we had Kittle down the middle screaming,” Shanahan said. “There’s no better feeling getting him the ball in open space and letting him do what he does.”

Kittle said the ball usually isn’t supposed to come his way there, but an alert was triggered once the Dolphins split their safeties. “It’s always fun to rumble, bumble and tumble, man, and stiff-arm people into the dirt,” Kittle said. “It just feels really good, it revitalizes you, and it definitely gives you a bunch of confidence.”

Added Purdy: “They brought a double corner blitz, which opened the middle up, and

George saw it and took it, which was a hell of a job seeing. You can see how explosive he was

after the catch and how hard he is to bring down.”

7. KITTLE-JUSZCZYK COMBO

Kittle and Juszczyk celebrated a rare feat Sunday in that each scored in the same game. The 49ers are 5-0 when that’s happened (others: 2017 vs. Indianapolis, 2023 vs. Dallas and Jacksonville, and 2024 vs. Seattle). Kittle and Juszczyk shared the mic at the postgame lectern and riffed off each other. They’re the first 49ers to play 10 seasons with the franchise since Joe Staley.

8. KICKER SITUATION

Eddy Piñeiro won the 49ers’ home opener a year ago with a 35-yard, walk-off field goal against Arizona. This time, he overcame a week-long sickness and, with much less pressure than last year, had five point-after kicks, six kickoffs, and no field-goal attempts.

The 49ers worked out two kickers Saturday, Greg Joseph and Younghoe Koo.

“We asked him if we should just sign one of these guys to be safe,” Shanahan said. “And he answered it the way he should, so we were real confident that he felt better.”

9. HALFTIME SPEECH?

The 49ers have taken a one-score lead into halftime of each game, then blown out their foes. They outscored the Rams 17-0 in the second half of the season opener, then scored three touchdowns in Sunday’s third quarter before yielding a garbage-time touchdown to Miami.

Kittle said it’s not as if Purdy or Bosa are rattling the locker room.

“This halftime speech wasn’t any different than the NFC Championship Game a couple years ago (against Detroit) when we were down by 20,” Kittle said. “It was the exact same speech: ‘Hey you’ve got 30 minutes to go. Got put it all out there.’ It’s pretty straight forward.”

10. CHILDHOOD IDOLS

McCaffrey joined Randy Moss and Marshall Faulk as the only players to score 50 touchdowns with two different franchises. Said McCaffrey: “I watched all those guys growing up, Marshall Faulk being somebody that I’ve probably seen every single snap he’s played. So I don’t take it for granted, man. And Randy Moss, I probably threw it to him a million times in Madden growing up, so those are huge honors.”

Purdy felt the same way handing off the ball for McCaffrey’s historic scores Sunday.

“I was just telling the guys on the sideline, ‘It’s crazy, I grew up watching him in high school when he was at Stanford and then with the Panthers,”’ Purdy said. “To be there when he scored his 100th touchdown is insane.”