SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy is not one to boast.
However, after Sunday’s 30-13 victory over the New England Patriots, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback mentioned that his 10-yard split coming out of college was quicker than Deebo Samuel’s and Christian McCaffrey’s.
“I believe,” he emphasized. “You’d have to fact-check me. I believe I have enough speed to escape the pocket, make a play, and pick up a few yards here and there. I’m definitely not Lamar Jackson.”
In reality, his time was similar to that of his teammates. Purdy’s 10-yard split of 1.55 seconds in 2022 was actually slightly slower than Samuel’s (1.48) and McCaffrey’s (1.52) when they were entering the draft.
Nevertheless, his point was clear, especially to his recent opponents.
For the second consecutive game, Purdy relied on his legs when the passing game struggled. He gained 7 yards on the initial third down of the opening drive. He added another 5 — and a first down — on the second third down during a 15-play drive that culminated in a 22-yard field goal from Jake Moody. Additionally, there were some impressive throws where Purdy exhibited agility akin to Fran Tarkenton, evading trouble, scrambling towards the sideline, and completing unlikely passes before taking a hit. He finished the game 15 of 27 for 288 yards.
GO DEEPER
49ers sack Jacoby Brissett six times in 30-13 win over Patriots: Takeaways
Although it was not a flawless performance for Purdy, San Francisco missed an opportunity to put the Patriots away early in the fourth quarter when his pass intended for Brandon Aiyuk was intercepted by safety Jabrill Peppers in the end zone. Kyle Shanahan believed Purdy should have released the pass earlier, while Purdy admitted he did not initially see Peppers.
“It’s something I need to improve on in my progressions by not being greedy,” he acknowledged. “I was stuck on him for too long, which isn’t ideal as a quarterback. You progress through your reads based on your movements, and on that one, I was just greedy.”
After four games, the passing game is not as fluid and effortless as it was at the start of last season when the 49ers began with a 5-0 record. Teams are now focused on shutting down Purdy’s signature throws, including the intermediate and deep crossing routes to Aiyuk that were so effective last season.
For instance, last week, the Los Angeles Rams occasionally dropped eight players into coverage and only rushed three, resulting in a play where Purdy held the ball for more than 12 seconds. Purdy highlighted another play where they dropped nine and rushed just two.
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Purdy mentioned that the Patriots’ safeties did a commendable job anticipating the 49ers’ preferred routes and eliminating them. However, as the game progressed, Purdy and the passing offense capitalized on those adjustments. When New England’s safeties began crowding the middle, he started going deep. His three longest completions were:
• A 53-yard pass down the field to Deebo Samuel Sr. in the third quarter. Samuel, who initially lined up as a tailback, recorded three receptions for 58 yards after missing the previous week with a calf injury.
Deebo’s got us movin’ 55yds down the field.
📺 #NEvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/u3vZTNGkcJ— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 29, 2024
• A 45-yard strike to Jauan Jennings early in the fourth quarter. Jennings led the team in receiving yards for the second consecutive week, finishing with three catches for 88 yards.
JJ’s down there somewhere
📺 #NEvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/aqUyQBiGov— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 29, 2024
• A 38-yard pass to Aiyuk on Purdy’s first throw of the game. Aiyuk accumulated modest receiving stats — two catches for 48 yards — for the fourth consecutive game, but his diving catch on third down was the kind of difficult grab he had not made earlier in the season.
Even on one of Purdy’s shorter throws, a 12-yard touchdown to George Kittle in the second quarter, the ball traveled a significant distance.
That’s our TE @gkittle46
📺 #NEvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/2KnvF7QeFz— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 29, 2024
Kittle explained that the play required him to run an out-and-up route, typically run from a farther distance, around the 40-yard line. He felt that running the play from the 12-yard line was “a bit aggressive.”
“I wasn’t entirely sold on the play call,” he confessed. “Because it was originally meant for a longer distance. But when we ran it from the (12-yard line), I had to confirm with Brock that we called the right play. And I told him, ‘Just throw it.'”
Purdy did just that, placing the ball where only Kittle could reach it, and the 6-foot-4 tight end secured the catch amidst a trio of sub-6-foot Patriots defensive backs.
The touchdown put the 49ers ahead 20-0, maintaining a two-score lead for the remainder of the game.
However, it was a messy victory against a Patriots team lacking offensive firepower and plagued by injuries. The 49ers also faced several injuries of their own, including to defensive starters Fred Warner (ankle) and Jordan Elliott (knee), and a costly special teams mishap, a kick-return fumble by Isaac Guerendo in the third quarter leading to New England’s only touchdown.
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The 49ers struggled in the red zone yet again. Despite six trips inside the Patriots’ 25-yard line, they only managed two touchdowns, Kittle’s and Jordan Mason’s 4-yard run in the third quarter. They settled for three Moody field goals and threw one interception. Last season, they led the league in red zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns 67 percent of the time.
“We need to improve in that area, especially against dominant teams with strong offenses,” Kittle acknowledged, insinuating the Patriots were a relatively easy opponent before correcting himself. “Not to discredit the Patriots, but our defense performed admirably against them.”
(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)