How 49ers QB Purdy lifted Bell’s mood after costly dropped pass originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Wide receiver Ronnie Bell stood near his locker room just before the start of practice on Wednesday.
He said his main focus is on moving forward and putting his crucial missed pass behind him.
Bell expressed his appreciation for 49ers quarterback and team captain Brock Purdy, who helped him process the disappointment of his role in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“I’ll be honest, the best thing that’s happened to me the last couple of days was Purdy coming over and talking to me. That really helped lift my spirits, man,” Bell said.
“It helps a lot to have guys that support you like that. And he’s helped me a lot to get back up, to be able to move on, put it behind me and be ready to help the team win.”
With the score tied at 24-24 and 1:08 remaining in regulation time, Bell was able to catch a deep pass from Purdy near the Rams’ 25-yard line.
Bell stood up, but the pass he wanted to make slipped through his hands.
After a failed third-down attempt, the 49ers punted the ball back to the Rams. After a long return, the Rams were in position for the winning field goal when 49ers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was assessed a 25-yard penalty for pass interference.
Now it’s time for Bell to get back to work as the 49ers prepare to face the New England Patriots in Week 4 on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“You just have to block it out,” Bell said. “You have to know yourself and trust yourself. You’ve worked your whole life for this stuff, so you have to understand that. You have to block out the noise and trust yourself.”
Bell, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan, appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie, catching six passes for 68 yards. He was inactive for all three postseason games.
Looking back on his mistake in Sunday’s game, Bell acknowledged how difficult it was to make a mistake that contributed to the 49ers’ 27-24 loss to the Rams.
“Absolutely, you just have to finish the piece,” he said. “I thought the route was good, I was open, everything about it. You have to finish the piece. It’s tough, man. It’s tough.”
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