Rams Coach: Brock Purdy Isn't Reason for 49ers Struggles, Defense Isn't 'the Same'

A coach from the Los Angeles Rams believes the San Francisco 49ers' 1-2 start is owed more to their defense than the performance of quarterback Brock Purdy, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

The coach relayed to Russini how "San Francisco's defense is not the same" after the Rams came from behind to earn a 27-24 victory in Week 3.

No reasonable fan is putting the blame on Purdy's doorstep. His 280.7 passing yards per game are the highest in the NFL and he ranks fourth in QBR (74.6), per ESPN.com.

The third-year signal-caller is putting up big numbers despite not having the services of star running back Christian McCaffrey and seeing Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, two of his top targets, battle injuries of their own.

Unlike Purdy, the Niners defense has failed to deliver.

The unit is allowing 321.7 yards and 23.0 points per game, and both are up noticeably from 2023 (303.9 yards; 17.5 points). San Francisco also has the third-worst opponent conversion rate on third downs (52.9 percent).

Head coach Kyle Shanahan clearly didn't like where the defense was going with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and fired Wilks after the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. So far, the early returns on Nick Sorensen, who was promoted from his role as defensive passing game/nickel cornerbacks coach, aren't encouraging.

The 49ers host the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Should New England, one week removed from scoring three points and having 139 total yards in a loss to the New York Jets, move the ball up and down the field on San Francisco, fans in the Bay Area will be reaching for the panic button.