49ers News: Three sleeps until Jordan Mason plays football again

Burford’s ‘natural’ return to left side offers 49ers long-term option

“To break it down, it’s like you writing with your right hand, and then all of a sudden they tell you to write with your left hand,” Burford said. “You got to learn the new, you got to adapt to it. Everything is natural, you set so long in your sets, how you adjust to certain things. You have to adjust it, switch it, tweak it, and for you to do something so consistently — everything is about consistency when you play offensive line.

“So not being able to be consistent within the job and having to adapt and learn, those are the challenges of it. But at the end of the day, you’re playing pro football. That’s what comes with it. So, that’s why you got to learn to adapt. But being back on the left, like I said, it felt natural because I’d been doing it for so long.”

CMC ‘proud’ of Mason’s breakout 49ers performance vs. Jets

“Honestly? No,” McCaffrey told reporters Wednesday when asked if he spoke with Mason pregame. “With someone like him, I’m so proud of him. When you’re in a rhythm, and you’re in a groove, you let him be. And he showed that, man. I was so pumped for him, and just everything he’s done all camp. He’s earned that and he balled out, and it showed.”

Kyle Shanahan discusses Christian McCaffrey status following pessimistic reports

“Keep in mind that the Vikings, and the 49ers’ next opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, both play on turf fields. Would the 49ers just wait until after the facing the Rams (who put Puka Nacua, and starting offensive linemen Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila on injured reserve Wednesday) to return McCaffrey? We shall see.

Elsewhere, Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and Dee Winters (ankle) will still remain out of practice, while Aaron Banks (calf) and Jauan Jennings (ankle) should be limited.”

49ers game review: Guard Dominick Puni dazzles in highlight reel of a debut (paywall)

“Puni earned a lofty grade (79.1) from Pro Football Focus, making him the 49ers’ third-highest-graded offensive player, behind quarterback Brock Purdy (89.6) and left tackle Trent Williams (81.6), and the NFL’s top-graded offensive rookie. Puni, pick No. 86, ranked 11th of 66 guards who played at least 30 snaps in Week 1.

Puni would have graded even higher, but his best play didn’t count. On Jordan Mason’s 17-yard, second-quarter touchdown run that was negated by a holding penalty, Puni helped create an alley by driving Michael Clemons 3 yards backward before depositing the defensive lineman on his rear end at the 10-yard line.

Later, on an 8-yard, up-the-gut run by Mason in the third quarter, Puni turned defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes with a textbook seal block and Holmes balled his fists in frustration after Mason whizzed by him. Three plays later, the drive was capped by déjà vu, as Puni sealed off Holmes again to help create a gaping hole on Mason’s 5-yard scoring run.

In the first quarter, on a second-down incompletion, Puni mirrored Thomas as he tried to generate pass-rush pressure. Thomas started right, shifted left and didn’t get past the line of scrimmage, engulfed by Puni at every turn.

That was standard stuff for Puni at Kansas, where he didn’t allow even a QB hit in his final season, according to PFF. “

Kawakami: Brock Purdy’s average/ideal game, Nick Sorensen’s familiar debut and more 49ers Week 1 conclusions (paywall)

“That’s kinda how he played the whole game and only one got close to ’em. He played aggressive and played very controlled with a chance for us to win and not make mistakes. The way that game went, you get into the second half and truly felt the only way they could get back into it was if we had a bad turnover. And Brock was very trusting with the football — while still making plays.”

Aggressive, but controlled. Trustworthy with the ball, but still making the necessary throws. Shanahan has never produced a thesis paper for the baseline of what he wants from his quarterback, but he probably could just call up this game tape and say, “Right here.”

Now we all know that Purdy has had many spectacular games, too. He’s put up spectacular stats overall. He’s not a middling QB in any way. He’s got a high ceiling and, just a few years into his NFL career, it is going higher and higher. But it’s probably even more important to Shanahan, with this level of talent throughout the roster, that Purdy’s floor is so high, also. When the 49ers are in trouble, Purdy can jump in to save them. But when the 49ers are rolling, like they were on Monday, he’s sure not going to do something silly that saves the other team.”

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey on his injury and mindset: ‘My mentality is I’m playing’ (paywall)

“Dan Solomon, a surgeon with MarinHealth UCSF Orthopedics, said the difficulty McCaffrey has had in shaking the injury is common. At issue is the fact the tendon doesn’t get a good blood supply.

“So getting that tendon to remodel and heal is oftentimes very challenging, especially in a sprinter, who needs that power,” Solomon said. “And he’s obviously a very dynamic runner, so he needs a lot of push-off.”

Solomon said athletes who deal with Achilles tendonitis are more apt to suffer a ruptured tendon later, though that’s more common among older athletes. McCaffrey is 28.

“It can happen in anyone,” Solomon said. “Usually, we see it more in older athletes who play pickleball and tennis — athletes over 50. But it also happens to NBA players, probably with more frequency than NFL players just because they’re doing jumping, landing, they have bigger feet, bigger levers. But any direction-changing sport that you need power off your ankle is potentially at risk.”

He said surgery is an option, but that’s usually a last resort. Another strategy is to get platelet-rich plasma injections to stimulate healing in the area, something he suspects McCaffrey might have tried.

“And maybe even a series of PRP injections just because the Achilles is so hard to get to heal,” Solomon said. “Basically, it’s promoting a healing response to the tendon.”

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey: Was ‘group decision’ to sit out MNF

“I think when you don’t feel right in practice there’s a difference between you don’t feel right, but maybe by Sunday you’ll be good to go when you’re working through some stuff and something’s off,” McCaffrey said. “My mindset is I’m going to play no matter what I’m going through physically on Wednesday or Thursday practice, and then the game day you’ve got to make a decision.”

49ers overreactions: Can Purdy play his way to $60M contract?

“But the 49ers’ defense certainly had a different feel to it in Nick Sorensen’s first game as defensive coordinator. Things looked very cohesive, and that’s how it felt for All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, too.

“He called a great game,” Warner said of Sorensen. “I love the way that he approaches the preparation, the way that he leads our group, ultimately goes out there and calls a flawless game.”

Wilks had the built-in disadvantage of learning and running a new defense last season. It didn’t work out. Sorensen has been around this system for years, going back to eight seasons he spent on Pete Carroll’s staff with the Seattle Seahawks.

The addition of veteran cornerback Isaac Yiadom was a huge under-the-radar signing to play important snaps on the outside in the team’s nickel defense. Rookie Renardo Green and veteran Rock Ya-Sin provide talent that’s an upgrade over what the 49ers put on the field last season, too.”

49ers’ Moody awarded NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor

“Moody’s six field goals are tied for the most in a single game in franchise history with Robbie Gould, Jeff Wilkins and Ray Wersching.”