Jones, the QB no one wanted, and great D keep Niners undefeated

The New England Patriots gave up on him. Even the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t want Mac Jones.

That Jones would then come to the 49ers has been beneficial to both parties.

If you contend the 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 16-15, Sunday at Levi's Stadium,  because of their defense, you wouldn’t be incorrect. But you could also point out that Jones, as the quarterback of a winning team, had an important role. 

And, of course, so did Eddie Piniero, who hit the 35-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining that provided the winning margin.

The Niners are undefeated in three games this season. That D certainly played a major role.

Yet Jones, a first-round pick by the Patriots, Rickey Pearsall, and not the least having gone through struggles at the position, Pineiro, the new place kicker, all took part.

The key in sports is taking advantage of an opportunity. You can be a first-rounder or you can come off the bench, as did Jones and, in a way, Pineiro, who was signed as a free agent only a few days earlier.

Maybe no one better verifies this idea than Brock Purdy, who, as we know, was the last man selected in the 2022 NFL draft. Purdy, of course, became the Niners starter and star. But Sunday, for a second straight game, he was unable to play because of a foot injury.

On came Jones again, and doing what prime back-ups always seem to do, performing successfully.

He completed 27 passes in 41 attempts for 284 yards and San Francisco’s lone touchdown in a game when it didn’t seem that the Niners would score any touchdowns. Jones was the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Alabama. The thinking was that he would be Tom Brady’s eventual replacement. However, according to some stories, he did not get along with the Patriots' coaching staff and head coach Bill Belichick.

He lost games, he lost confidence, and was traded to the awful Jaguars in 2024. They gave up on him soon enough, and the Niners cleverly picked him up as a free agent in 2025.

There is a good history of backup quarterbacks with the 49ers. In the 1980s, Jeff Kemp took over for the injured Joe Montana and was a winner.

As Sunday so were the 49ers. You could debate whether it was Jones’ throws, Pearsall’s 117 receiving yards, or Christian McCaffrey’s 88 receiving yards that made the biggest difference. Working together, which is what good teams do, the Niners produced enough points. 

And the defense, even though Nick Bosa incurred a possible ACL injury in the second quarter, was stout enough. Lying on the ground immediately after the injury incurred, Bosa looked up at the stands where his parents were sitting and gave the thumbs-down signal.

San Francisco’s coach, Kyle Shanahan, said, “Bosa injured himself on an early drive. But he never quits. The way he came back on the last drive was incredible.”