GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Brandon Allen didn’t get nearly enough help from his more recognizable San Francisco 49ers teammates as the 32-year-old journeyman…
Brandon Allen didn’t get nearly enough help from his more recognizable San Francisco 49ers teammates as the 32-year-old journeyman quarterback made his first start in nearly three years.
Now, the defending NFC champions find themselves at 5-6 and last in the NFC West.
Allen did a decent job Sunday filling in for the injured Brock Purdy before losing a fumble on a strip-sack by Lukas Van Ness in the fourth quarter of the 49ers’ 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. But on a day when San Francisco’s regulars had to be sharp in Purdy’s absence, the 49ers were sloppy.
Allen threw a 3-yard pass to tight end George Kittle for San Francisco’s lone touchdown.
“I thought he played well,” Kittle said. “We just have to play better.”
That will be necessary if the Niners want to get back to the playoffs. And it would help if they could get healthier.
Right now, San Francisco (5-6) looks like a team missing many of its biggest stars.
Purdy didn’t play Sunday because of a shoulder injury. An ankle injury sidelined three-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams. Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa was out with a hip/oblique issue. And All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey still appears slowed by Achilles tendinitis.
Coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t have any immediate update after the game on Purdy’s potential availability for next week, when the Niners visit AFC East-leading Buffalo.
