After getting the news 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey won't be playing, Willard and Dibs get into how Brock Purdy will do without his star running back. Should this injury worry Niner Faithful ?
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00:00Well, I tell you what remember it was only about an hour and a half ago, but we're just dancing
00:04Yeah, they're just dancing out in the parking lot. Have a good old time. No doubt putting some drinks in and
00:11There's no two ways about it. You want to talk about the definition of a buzzkill. This is it
00:16It doesn't take away from the fact that the Niners opener is here
00:20the excitement for the season
00:22Remains the hope is still strong
00:25But there is a big old bucket of water that just got dumped on a 49er fan
00:32In that Christian McCaffrey is out for this game and we were just talking about this
00:39Look look look and I were having this conversation and he brought up an interesting question, which is wasn't it said
00:46Throughout camp by Christian and the Niners that if there was a game if there was a game that counted
00:53He was already ready to play
00:55And now here's a game that counts and it's weeks later and he's not ready to play
01:00So my question number one post game for Kyle Shanahan, and I'm sure it'll be asked is what happened
01:07Did something new?
01:09Happened to Christian McCaffrey. Is it a re-aggravation of something from earlier?
01:15What happened that changed that answer to no, we're not ready for a game that counts could be just precautionary
01:21But it seemed like all of the chatter heading up to tonight was that yeah, if there's a game that matters
01:27I'll be able to play and it felt like it was not a huge deal
01:31It was just a little bit of a calf thing and he was going through
01:34All of what he was doing on the side and he was running and it seemed like he was trending toward being able to play
01:39So I'm also a little surprised
01:42Even shocked that McCaffrey is not gonna go tonight that he's been listed as inactive and I wonder
01:48When he would have had any possible setback because they haven't really gone through
01:53Much in the way of rigorous practice and he certainly hasn't been out there
01:57So maybe it's just where he's close to being able to play but the doctors have an eye toward the long game
02:03And so they're gonna hold him out as a precaution
02:06Well, I mean he did practice this week, even though at times it was of a limited nature and you know
02:11This as a radio doctor, you know that when it comes to muscular injuries like that
02:16It's not like it takes some sort of contact or something weird to happen to re-aggravate these things
02:22He could have just been running and and and it you know, it starts barking at you a little bit. Who knows?
02:27And yes, it's week one and you see the word Achilles
02:31I would imagine that the 49ers if there's any question at all
02:35The right thing to do is to keep him out, right?
02:37right
02:38although with you know these types of injuries as we've seen and I don't know the nature of the calf strain if it is a
02:44Strained Achilles if it's the calf as it connects to the Achilles
02:48We don't really know fully what the injury is
02:50but we saw with Kevin Durant that thing was largely a ticking time bomb and there was no real amount of
02:57rest and
02:59Caution that you could pay for that to get better. And I hope that this isn't that because then you're looking at a
03:05The the specter or the sector rather of something that really bad is going to happen
03:10But for now, hopefully it's just precautionary and he's able to come back on Sunday in six days and be able to go in Minnesota
03:17Yeah, absolutely
03:18We should mention the name Patrick Taylor jr
03:20As well as Matt Miyoko NBC Sports Bay Area has named actually Taylor
03:24Potentially ahead of Garendo as the backups in this game now, maybe that was just the way he wrote it
03:30But he wrote Patrick Taylor
03:32Juniors name first and Isaac Garendo second as backups to Jordan Mason tonight in the backfield for the 49ers
03:40All right, we're drawn close. We're inside of an hour to the game. There's no Christian McCaffrey. However
03:47The show must go on. So 888-957-9570 is the number
03:51Let's go to Bob in the city here on Willard and Dibbs live at Levi's. What's up, Bob? What are you doing?
03:58I'm driving up here and watch this game. It's gonna be great. Yeah
04:06Yeah, no big no big deal just shoot it over so Nova came didn't you see North Dallas 40
04:15Yeah, anyway, I think this is a good omen because now we get to see Jordan Mason and I love the way he runs
04:22He runs with authority and I just I'm just waiting to see if there's gonna be a really good breakout game for him
04:28Well, I mean, it's very silver lining thinking but by the same token
04:34There are a couple things to say in there not that you're rooting for these or want these but it's reality now
04:40Kristen's not playing tonight. Okay. So what are some of the good things that come from that?
04:4549er fans have been asking to see a lot more of Jordan Mason for a couple years now. Well, you're forced into it
04:52It's not ideal. But here we go. So like I'm always big on when you get an opportunity. What do you do with it?
04:58It's a big one for Mason tonight
05:00Oh, it's a huge ask and I'm just looking at Adam Schefter on Twitter and he points out that
05:04Jordan Mason making his first career start. He has never had more than 69 rushing yards
05:1011 carries or 27 snaps in a game in a game
05:14So I would imagine the 27 snaps is going to be broken
05:18Hopefully the 69 rushing yards is a record a personal record that gets broken as well
05:22But you're asking for a lot from Jordan Mason who's been you know, the change of pace guy the rest guy
05:31The mop-up guy and now you're asking him to come in and be rb1. That's a big one on a Monday night football game
05:37All right
05:37So like I mean game plan it a little bit like if you if you were the 49ers and you're looking at what's reality now
05:44How are you changing your approach to try to get first outs
05:47I'm gonna change it in that I'm gonna look to use Debo a little bit more in the run game jet sweeps
05:53And I'm also gonna line up Debo in the backfield a little bit and get him involved and you know, Jordan Mason
05:58You're gonna have to be the guy now
06:00You're not gonna lean on him like you lean on Christian McCaffrey
06:02But you're gonna have Jordan Mason
06:04Tote the rock and he's gonna be the primary ball carrier and other than that
06:08I do think you're gonna see a little bit more of the short quick passing game
06:13Screens and you know, let's see how we get the ball to Debo immediately and let him be a glorified running back on the edge
06:19I don't disagree with anything you just said but where my mind goes
06:23It doesn't immediately even go to Jordan Mason or Debo Samuel. It goes to Brock Purdy
06:28Because he is still he's running the show and if you don't have that weapon
06:33It's his job to get the ball to the other weapons and I think as a Jets defensive coordinator
06:38Which is essentially what Robert Sala is. Where does your mind go? If you're thinking there's no McCaffrey then
06:45Debo is exactly where every brain is gonna go
06:47And so my concern is is that a very speedy Jets defense is gonna be ready for that
06:53They're gonna be ready for jet sweeps
06:54And one of the beauties of using a wide receiver the way they use Debo is the element of motion and surprise, right?
07:01And I don't think you're gonna have as much surprise tonight with the idea of Debo
07:06Could you just line them up in the backfield and do some things?
07:08Yes, of course, you can your gift you block them
07:10Well, you're going to get first downs
07:12but I really think that in year three with a full training camp and
07:18An extra pounds of muscle and all that stuff, right if you're gonna give the guy 60 million dollars. Hey, let's go
07:25Yeah ball is yours dude complete some passes. Let's go. You can get you got your full complement of receivers
07:32Kind of I know there's no pierce all and I know that I you might miss some plays
07:36But yeah, you've got a group out there along with George Kittle that I think as you're saying get the ball out of his hands
07:43But also put it in his hands like he has to be able to get first downs
07:48Yeah without his full complement of weaponry and this is what so many people have been waiting for
07:55Clamoring for oh, what's Brock gonna be like when he's not surrounded by all these all-stars. Well, here you go
08:00This is the first crack at it because Brandon Iuke is not gonna play a full game and Christian McCaffrey has been ruled
08:07inactive due to the calf slash Achilles injury
08:11So you're gonna have Kittle and you're gonna have Debo and that's about it for your skill weapon guys
08:17I do want to point out something that you mentioned in the depth chart Patrick Taylor Patrick Taylor jr
08:22Yes in his fourth year. Yes spent three years in Green Bay. He's had 65 career carries
08:29Okay, how'd they go?
08:30261 yards, so he's averaging about about four yards a toe out of babe. That's a number. That's what you want
08:36Hey guy, he scored a touchdown scored a touchdown
08:40Four yards to carry that's first out
08:42So he probably will be the backup ahead of Isaac Garanda who's almost but he hasn't played much at all
08:47No, I mean, he's a rookie who also missed a good portion of camp. Yeah, and so you're probably right I
08:54Harken back to something Hutch said to us short time ago
08:57Which really now comes into play with Christian McCaffrey being out and that is that in a game like this?
09:03It's week one and you're going up against I want to say a veteran laden team because they've got some youth in spots
09:10But because Aaron Rodgers is at the helm it feels like there's experience on the other side
09:18you've got to go with one word and that's trust and
09:21Those rookies Garendo being one of them you like you don't know if you can trust them yet
09:27I like I can't tell you how many conversations I've had
09:31And just people I've listened to whether it be on the radio TV direct conversations people who have played the game
09:39Talk about the difference in a regular season football game
09:44Versus anything that these rookies have ever experienced before so it's great that we've all decided for example that
09:51Dominic Pooney is just well. He's just great. There's a wonderful traffic, and he's phenomenal and Baldy loves him on film
09:57And so it's done Pooney's great dude
10:00There are people who shrink when the lights come on and there's the opposite
10:06There's the little camp guy who you're like. I'm not sure and then the lights come on
10:10Bang and they've got something and this is a totally different speed that they're about to see tonight
10:17Versus anything they've ever experienced before high school college or camp and so we'll see and
10:22You don't know who you can trust yet when it comes to all of those rookies have never done it before right which is why?
10:27I do think that Jordan Mason will be leaned on because he's a guy who's been through it now
10:32He's he's been here with the 49ers for a couple of years
10:34And he's been the guy to tote the rock cam Inman points out that this will be Brock Purdy's first career start without Christian
10:42So it's gonna be you know as we look at the DAC contract and we look at everything else that we're talking about for the
10:49Future welcome to the NFL Brock. This is a big night for him now
10:52How does that fact hit you because can I just share real quick like?
10:57Look if you sat here, and and you were in control of the universe
11:01And you said I'll offer you right now. You can have Christian back in this game
11:05I'd be like yes done, but when you tell me hey
11:10This is first Brock. This is Brock's first game without Christian. There's a piece of me. That's like all right. Let's see. Let's see it
11:16Let's see it like that's interesting to me. Yeah, I get that and the stakes are
11:21High not really crazy. I don't know it's week one right. It's week one if they lose tonight
11:27Then they go to Minnesota only one and 16 and one is still on the table
11:33The division is still the tip if you lose tonight. You're a game behind
11:38The Seattle Seahawks, yeah, and this is face them in a couple weeks
11:43Yeah, I mean in the Rams are in a little bit of turmoil in Arizona's, Arizona
11:47But think about it the Rams are all in one and they've lost Puka Nuku for like a significant period of time right so the
11:53Big focus for me is on the McCaffrey injury and then beyond that I'm kind of with you like let's see it Brock
11:58Okay, you don't have Christian McCaffrey and everybody's been waiting for well when you don't have McCaffrey
12:04And and you don't have Debo and Kittle and I you then we'll see if you're any good
12:08Well now we get a chance to see him without a guy who finished fourth in the MVP
12:13And we get a chance to see it well look if we go back to last year Brock's third. I'm sorry third
12:19Yeah, but but if we go back to games where Brock Purdy had to play without
12:24Significant pieces around yeah
12:26Everyone goes to the three-game losing streak and the fact that he played three games without Debo Samuel and Trent Williams
12:32And there was no doubt that it looked like a lesser version of Brock Purdy
12:37I will try to remind people it did not look like a quarterback who suddenly could not function
12:44You you were up against a good defense in Cleveland in a weather game
12:48And you were given a deficit and what'd you do you moved your team down the field you got in the field goal range
12:53The history would look on this very differently if Jake Moody makes that kick and if the kick he should make was it a perfect?
13:00No was it a game that he could have should have won
13:03Absolutely you go to Minnesota
13:05I know how that ended
13:07But the defense could not over the next two weeks in fact against Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow
13:12Could not force one incompletion right literally could not force an incompletion and Brock Purdy if you may remember
13:19There was that whole controversy about whether or not he was actually concussed coming out of the Vikings game
13:24I can't believe he was it wasn't supposed to play in the Bengals game right and then he did
13:28But I just go back and I look at that and was it a lesser version of Brock
13:32Yes, what is a version that that couldn't win a football game?
13:36No, no, and so there's a piece of me that does have a little interest in
13:43Seeing something like this. How does this 49er offense function now?
13:48With with another very very big piece out of the fold and especially when we look back at week one
13:54and we look at all of the shaky quarterback play and the fact that offenses look like they're a little bit behind defenses and now
14:00Brock Purdy's gonna come out and not have a full IU and Trent is fresh off the couch and now you don't have CMC
14:07For me you said something earlier about 25 points. It might actually be 21 points
14:12Maybe this game might be
14:13first to 20 because I think the Jets are gonna struggle a little bit with Aaron Rodgers and his rust and I do think the
14:20Defense is better than what people are giving it credit for to and on the other side now with no McCaffrey and I you can
14:26Trent still kind of
14:28Emerging from their offseason mothballs. I see this one is maybe a wish now ski
14:33I mean look look at last night. For example, you get to 20 points. What do you get you get overtime?
14:39Yeah, I don't know if you're gonna win but but yeah
14:41I would have a hard time believing that the New York Jets unless they get maybe a defensive score or something like that
14:48I got a hard time believing that they're gonna get to 24 or north of it and quite frankly if they do then then I'd
14:54Be real concerned right then. I would be very concerned not about Christian McCaffrey related things
14:59but about defense related things if you've got Monday Night Football in your building and
15:05And full health and a 40 year old quarterback coming off of Achilles and they go bust 27 on you. We got a problem
15:12Yeah, no doubt Houston or as a guru would say NASA
15:15We have a problem, you know with the coordinator change and you've got new pieces out there and you've got Adam
15:21Who's gonna start in the secondary?
15:23And so yeah a lot of pressure on this defense with the new
15:26Coordinator to come out and especially now that there's no McCaffrey
15:29You got to pick up your offense maybe tonight because your offense is not gonna be firing on all cylinders
15:35Potentially with Trent getting his first football action since the Super Bowl
15:40Brandon I youth the same thing and no CMC bit of a tall order
15:44but this is where you look at Kyle Shanahan and you lean on that laminated play sheet because I'm sure he wasn't
15:51completely caught off guard by the McCaffrey
15:54Inactive. I'm sure that he had a contingency plan in place in case McCaffrey wasn't I mean
16:01He said early on in camp with all the holdouts that that's his job is to have every contingency plan in place
16:08That said we also point to Friday
16:12Friday when Christian McCaffrey's injury designation came out and he was directly asked
16:18Is this a concern and he said quote it's not a concern for me
16:24Which you know?
16:26Clearly made everybody believe. Okay there one that we're playing football on on Monday night
16:31I mean what I heard him say is well, you know
16:33My contract just got reworked and I got a bunch of guaranteed money. So I'm good
16:41That's not Christian
16:45So from Friday, he's not concerned at all to Monday where he can't play well again
16:51Now you have to start going through and unpacking words and like, you know, what does that mean by you're not concerned?
16:57Are you not concerned about a long-term injury?
16:59Or are you just flat-out not concerned because you can definitely play or did something happen between Friday and today?
17:06Which is also on the table in terms of how this all played out
17:09I want to thank my buddy Jay who just texted in which is a good point
17:14And something maybe we should talk about next two games which both happen over the next 13 days
17:20Will both be on artificial surfaces
17:23Yeah, not good. Oh good Bob. Okey-doke like we like you say that's not
17:28Not good, Bob. Not good. Yeah, the one thing about an Achilles on the hard surface is even if your Achilles are good
17:35That's gonna strain your Achilles no matter what like well, you know
17:38I think about days when I'm out even on the concrete as opposed to like if I go running on the concrete or running on
17:45The trail you could feel it and these guys are highly tuned and highly trained athletes
17:50And he's got an Achilles issue and a calf strain and now you're gonna put him on the carpet
17:55Well, not good. Look I'm gonna say what the bigger reaction to this news is the bigger reaction is not
18:03Oblique he's not playing tonight. The bigger reaction is oblique
18:08This might be a problem all year long. There are very few and you know this especially in the NFL
18:13There are very few injuries that give you a warning shot
18:18But this is one of them and often if a calf is is bothering you or your Achilles is bothering you
18:26Every doctor will tell you that yes
18:29Sometimes that does mean there is a weakening in the area and you are more vulnerable
18:34You are more susceptible and we've all watched it
18:37We've all watched this happen from Kevin Durant to the other examples that we've brought up where one thing led to another
18:44And my hope is is that that's what the 49ers are doing right now and being very cautious
18:49But the the scary part is is maybe you do sit him week one two
18:55Three and
18:56Find a way to be two and one when the Patriots get here in three weeks and you're like, okay
19:01Well now we're gonna play him because he feels at full strength
19:03Well does he in the second quarter does that thing just bark again right when he gets out there or worse or worse worse?
19:09Yep, instead of the bark. It's the bite. Yeah, that's the thing about a calf
19:14Achilles that you just can't you can't do anything about it. It's not like you can I guess you could have
19:21Achilles surgery, but then your years over
19:24So if you want to if it's a partial or if it's you know strain and you want to go in there and shore it
19:29Up and do surgery. Well now you're gone for the year because the Achilles surgery is not when you come back from quickly
19:36So the other thing is you try to baby it you pick your spots
19:39Yep, you hope it quiets down and then you play him and you know, like you said it could come back to haunt you
19:46Right now week one you take caution and that's the smart thing to do and you hope that all right
19:52Maybe next week, Minnesota on Sunday
19:54You're want to know you go to Minnesota on the turf and maybe he still is where he is now
20:0080% 75 you sit him again. You slow play it as long as you can. Maybe I'm a weirdo here
20:06But there there really is maybe there's something about stuff like this
20:12That is kind of at a fundamental level what makes the NFL so unpredictable and so exciting
20:19Yeah, I think about Brock Purdy from this standpoint. This is who he was
20:24He was somebody who walked onto the field the same way Jordan Mason will tonight while people were going
20:30Well, that's the end of that season
20:32What the hell are we gonna do now and now out of the next 21 games?
20:37He won 17 of them and the 49ers have gone to two NFC title games and they've gone to a Super Bowl
20:42You don't know what you're gonna find
20:44You know, there are a lot of players in the NFL hell go over the NBA
20:48Isn't it who Draymond Green was once upon a time? There are a lot of people you find
20:55Because somebody you know got hurt now
20:58I'm not telling you Jordan Mason's about to be a star or anything like that, but I think he's pretty good football player
21:05I think he's pretty interesting and and and who knows if it's Jordan or anything else for that matter
21:10Hell, maybe it's Isaac Garando by the time we get to week six
21:13It could be or maybe Christian McCaffrey is back on Sunday and and everything is fine
21:18all of these are maybes but I just try to keep that optimistic mind of you don't know what you're gonna find around the
21:25corner and
21:26No team no team is that good if they can be taken down by the loss of one player?
21:33Unless that one player is the quarterback and I get that and ultimately, you know, the NFL season's about attrition
21:40It's a battle of attrition anyway, and last year they had a great run. They didn't have that injury
21:46They didn't have an injury to any of their really really critical players
21:49I know Trent Williams missed a couple and Devo missed a couple fine
21:52But they didn't have long stretches without their big player. And this is it. This is their bell cow
21:58This is a guy who was top five in the MVP voting and he's gonna miss week one and you hope that's it
22:04But it's all about adjustments and Kyle Shanahan now
22:07It's next man up and you figure out with that beautiful laminated play sheet. How you gonna scheme it?
22:11Well, let's find out man
22:13I'm also like my media brain works where it's like when there are narratives out there, but they're hypothetical
22:18I love when we get to a point. It's like well now we get to find out it's real
22:22Oh, what if the Niners ever had to play without McCaffrey, you know what it would look no
22:26You don't know don't know but now we're gonna find out
22:29Yeah
22:29so tomorrow morning and some all afternoon with the roast and Stiney and goo and you and I will be all over this and
22:36We're gonna have at least one page one chapter in the book of what would the Niners look like without Christian McCaffrey?
22:44Yeah, it's either Mason looks good or Taylor or Garendo or maybe they fully abandon the run
22:49Do they go more to Debo Samuel?
22:51I think that they will use Debo in the backfield a good amount
22:54But ultimately now Kyle Shanahan and that beautiful laminated play sheet
22:59You got to figure out how you're gonna scheme it with a limited IU
23:04Trent off the couch and no McCaffrey. I wonder what he knew
23:07I wonder when the playbook started getting the Nate the non-christian playbook started coming together. I would imagine this morning
23:16I'm sure he knew before the word came out. I'm sure he had a good idea about where McCaffrey was
23:22I mean we all kind of assumed he was gonna play. Yep. Maybe it's our fantasy football week one brains
23:27Apologies to Sam Lubman who has McCaffrey. Oh and and and thousands upon thousands of others who are listening right now who are
23:36devastated
23:37For themselves sure