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How “Baller” Dobbs solidified his chances to become the 49ers’ backup QB – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy started, but it was quarterback Joshua Dobbs who stole the show in the 49ers' 16-10 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Dobbs solidified his prospects for the job as San Francisco's backup quarterback by putting together an impressive performance with his arms and legs against the New Orleans defense.

Dobbs led the 49ers in touchdowns in each of the three series he played on Sunday, including an impressive two-minute drill to close the first half in which he led San Francisco's offense 80 yards in 1:16 and capped it off with a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Dobbs finished the night completing 12 of 21 passes for 133 yards and adding another 25 yards while showing off his invaluable running ability. The veteran quarterback's dual-threat performance not only wowed fans, as Purdy was also incredibly impressed with Dobbs' performance against the Saints.

“He is [Dobbs] a baller, man,” Purdy said. “He makes plays, reads his decisions and brings energy, man. He's out there making plays, and guys benefit from that. That's football. It's not always going to be pretty, you fall behind and everything is going to be perfect. You have to make plays off schedule and give the team some momentum, and that's what guys benefit from. So I love having him in the room, and like I said, he's pretty electric.”

After the game, Dobbs expressed his excitement about his performance against New Orleans, saying he will continue to focus on what he can control on the field and leave the quarterback hierarchy to the powers that be.

“I thought it was a good day,” Dobbs said. “It was just a good day to go out there and compete. It's always fun to go out there and experience that atmosphere. That's my goal every time I go out there. I just go out there, take advantage of the opportunities and leave the pecking order and everything else to the coaches.

Dobbs bluntly stated that no matter his role, it is his responsibility to be able to step in immediately when the situation calls for it. Whether on the field or from the sidelines cheering on another 49ers quarterback, the veteran signal-caller is determined to do whatever he can to help San Francisco win football games.

“My job is to be ready when my number is called, no matter what role that is,” Dobbs said. “When Brock is in, it's my job to support him or whoever else is in the game from the sidelines. So it was fun to be out there at Levi's Stadium and wear the right color jersey this time, like my last experience here. It's always good to get a win, too.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan seemed pleased with Dobbs' performance, emphasizing the 29-year-old quarterback's ability to improvise and extend plays.

“Did a good job,” Shanahan said of Dobbs' performance. “Led us on some drives and scored points. Made some plays when things weren't going well. I thought it was similar to last week.”

Dobbs' three work series all came in the second quarter, with Brandon Allen taking over quarterback duties after halftime on Sunday after starting the 49ers' season opener against the Tennessee Titans last week.

Shanahan announced that the order of appearances of Dobbs and Allen had no impact on the current status of the replacement competition, but had already been determined before the start of the preseason.

“No, we just planned to take Brandon [Allen] Last week he was first, and this week we wanted to give Dobbs first,” Shanahan said. “We haven't decided on next week, but that was the plan from the beginning.”

Shanahan also said he was impressed with the performance of both players on Sunday against New Orleans and expressed how tough the competition is for the job of San Francisco's second quarterback.

“Yeah, I think they both handled the reps they were given well,” Shanahan said. “Dobbs got to play a little bit more and I thought he did a really good job on some of those drives. When Brandon came in, he did the same thing. It was very similar to last week. Games were close, practices were close. So we have a good problem to deal with right now.”

Had the race been so close, Dobbs' brilliance on Sunday might have been enough to put him in pole position for the backup job. Friday's final preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders offers him a chance to get a head start as the 49ers' roster takes shape ahead of Week 1.

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