So, apparently, you can push the ball carrier forward, but you cannot pull them. In my decade of doing this, I was unaware this was even a rule until Sunday night when the 49ers solidified their 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons. If you push (READ: The Tush-Push), it’s fine—at least through 2025.
Kyle Shanahan Delivers Bad News on Center Jake Brendel’s Injury
Posted October 21, 2025
The injuries keep piling up for the 49ers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that center Jake Brendel is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury.
Brendel sustained the injury during Sunday’s 20-10 win over the Falcons. The 33-year-old started the team’s first seven games, and his absence will open the door for Matt Hennessy to take over along the offensive line.
The 49ers are in a three-way tie atop the NFC West at 5-2. They visit the Texans on Sunday (1 p.m. ET).
Hennessey to Take Over at Center
Brendel left Sunday’s game in the first half. The 27-year-old Hennessey played relatively well in his absence, and Shanahan expressed confidence in him moving forward.
“He wasn’t perfect, but he works really hard at it,” Shanahan said of Hennessey. “We definitely mixed him in with reps. For him to get thrown in in that situation, especially versus a defense that stunts a lot, changes their fronts and definitely pressures at a high rate, I thought he did very well. I think he’ll only do better with more reps this week.”
It’s unfortunate timing for Brendel, who has been a stalwart along the offensive line. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks him 11th out of 49 eligible centers with a grade of 69.1. More specifically, he’s ranked eighth as a run blocker and 35th as a pass blocker.
The 49ers are ranked in total offense (366.6 yards per game) but just 24th in scoring (20.7 points per game) as injuries continue to mount.
Purdy Expected to Miss Another Week
Shanahan also revealed Monday that Pro Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy will likely be out another week. Purdy has missed the last three games with a toe injury.
“Yeah, I would say that is,” Shanahan said when asked if Purdy’s a reach to return in Week 8.
The Athletic’s Diana Russini shed more light on Purdy’s status.
“He went through a workout (Sunday) on the field, and I was told he didn’t really feel that great,” Russini said. “So we’ll see how this progresses over the next few days.”
Mac Jones went 17-of-26 for 152 yards and one interception against the Falcons. He is 5-1 as a starter this season.
49ers' Christian McCaffrey Scores Amid Missed Call on Archaic NFL Rule
A missed call on Christian McCaffrey’s touchdown adds to another week of brutal NFL officiating.
If you pull, it’s a 10-yard penalty. Better known as Rule 12, Section 1, Article 4 in the NFL rulebook:
On first and goal, on the 4-yard line, rather than bleed more clock before giving the Falcons the ball, the 49ers scored instead. This was thanks to a Christian McCaffrey run, assisted by Matt Hennessy and Connor Colby.
Just one problem: Colby was pulling McCaffrey through the goal line. And as the rule states, you can’t do that.
Of course, this was the missed call the broadcast crew wanted to focus on and point out how the refs got it wrong. There wasn’t a peep about Demarcus Robinson not getting a PI flag (maybe he was being fairly penalized for not catching it?) on the exact circumstances. Or defensive holding done to Colton McKivitz to blow up a play, or illegal hands to the face by the Falcons’ defense, or the jump the 49ers defense had on the first play of the game.
Bottom line: the officiating was terrible for both sides, yet again. Both teams got slapped with bad calls and no-calls; one found a way to win despite the incompetence. We’ve said on this site numerous times that officiating and the game result are not mutually exclusive. Had the 49ers not scored on that possession and the Falcons found a way to pull out the win, I’d be saying the same thing about how bad Ron Tolbert’s crew was in this game; The 49ers would have lost because Demarcus Robinson can’t catch, regardless of whether he was interfered with; the 49ers would have lost because Jauan Jennings bobbled a ball into a defender’s hands; etc., etc.
And regardless of me being a homer in this, finger of shame to NFL Officiating. You have New York. You have national TV that could ping you the play if you needed it. You review scoring plays, and you didn’t think to even flag them for this? You had no problem doing it to the Detroit Lions last week. This is the 49ers, not the Kansas City Chiefs. That touchdown was awesome, but as a fan, knowing it was an awful missed call does lessen the experience—a little.
But back to Colby and this missed flag. For once, an excellent play by the 49ers got to stay on the books regardless of legitimacy. I’d hate to think what the response would be if it were enforced. It will be curious to see what the response is from the pool reporter, as it’s a good guess someone in the media will chat with Tolbert on what happened and how the botch happened.
49ers fan or not, the missed calls all game are what make the NFL product a joke more often than not. The Falcons had plenty of botched calls/no calls go their way as well. Much like the 49ers, they had plenty of chances to win. The officiating performance is NOT the reason the Falcons lost this game. But they are right to be angry that this officiating is what the NFL rolls out for their team.
The 49ers, with an extensive injury list, managed to pull out the win despite what happened to them.
