Heading into Week 8 of the NFL season, the Houston Texans have already reached a crisis point in their season. At 2-4, Houston is 3.5 games back of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South and haven't yet put together a complete game versus a team with a winning record. This Sunday, the Texans will get their next chance to do just that, as the 5-2 San Francisco 49ers make the trip to NRG Stadium with their sights set on keeping pace in the crowded NFC West.
For much of last week, it looked as though the 49ers would have starting quarterback Brock Purdy back for this pivotal Week 8 contest. Due to a turf toe injury, Purdy has been limited to just two games so far this season, but with a week's worth of limited practices leading up to Week 7, it was assumed that the recently-extended fourth-year quarterback would be ready to make a return in Week 8.
However, earlier this week 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed the possibility of Purdy's pending return taking place in Week 8, responding "No one has said that," when asked by a member of the media as to whether Purdy would be on the field in Houston, meaning it will be former New England Patriots starter Mac Jones getting his sixth start of the season for San Francisco. As a result, the 49ers have flipped from a 1.5-point favorite to a 1.5-point underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook, per Peter Dewey of Sports Illustrated.
For Houston, this is at least theoretically a huge break. Brock Purdy was handed a five-year, $265 million extension this past May while Mac Jones was signed to a two-year, $7 million deal to serve as Purdy's backup just two months earlier. However, in reality, the difference between Purdy and Jones, at least in 2025, has been minimal.
Mac Jones has been Brock Purdy's equal in 2025 season
Heading into Week 8, Mac Jones has led the 49ers to a 4-1 record in his five starts, but we all know that quarterback records can be deceiving. After all, we're closing in on the 20 year anniversary of when Rex Grossman 'led' the Chicago Bears to a 13-3 regular season record and the franchise's second ever Super Bowl appearance.
But in this case, when comparing Jones' 2025 numbers to Purdy's 2025 numbers, there's not even really a drop-off. Hell, even Purdy's numbers across the first five weeks of the 2024 season aren't much better than what Mac Jones has put forth this year.
Passing Yards Per Game | Completion % | Passer Rating | Touchdown to Interception Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mac Jones (2025) | 280.8 | 67.0% | 89.8 | 6-to-4 |
Brock Purdy (2025) | 293.0 | 65.8% | 85.8 | 4-to-4 |
Brock Purdy (first five starts in 2024) | 274.8 | 65.6% | 95.3 | 6-to-4 |
Numbers aside, it still does feel like there's a drop-off from Brock Purdy to Mac Jones. Jones was a cast-off in New England just two years removed from a sensational rookie season, and he offers far less off-schedule creativity than Purdy does. If the Texans pass-rush can get home, Jones and the 49ers offense could be in for a long afternoon on Sunday.