Brock Purdy has an amazing, perhaps unsustainable, rookie record for avoiding INTs
Rookie quarterbacks aren't supposed to play well in the NFL playoffs. They're not even supposed to be in the playoffs.
Brock Purdy is writing a story unlike any we've seen before. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback isn't just a rookie, he was the final pick of the draft. And he has helped the 49ers to two playoff wins.
One of the main reasons Purdy is succeeding is he hasn't made mistakes. No big ones anyway.
Purdy is working on an NFL record for avoiding interceptions. Not only has he thrown the most playoff passes without an interception for a rookie quarterback, he has four times as many passes as any other rookie QB without a pick.
Brock Purdy has yet to throw playoff INT
Purdy's streak without an interception in the playoffs is unprecedented for a rookie quarterback, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Nobody is even close to Purdy's mark.
Brock Purdy has not thrown an interception on 59 attempts this postseason.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 25, 2023
It's by far the most attempts by a rookie in NFL postseason history without throwing an interception. pic.twitter.com/eEXQmGKEaz
It's remarkable that no rookie quarterback before Purdy had ever finished a postseason with more than 14 passes and no interceptions. But rookies are not supposed to play mistake-free football at the highest level.
Of course, Purdy still has at least one game to go and can be knocked off that list.
Eagles will try to force mistakes
Purdy did a decent job avoiding interceptions in the regular season as well. He had four interceptions total, and just two in his five starts. He threw an interception on 2.4% of his passes in the regular season, which would have placed him just outside the top 20 in the NFL. For a rookie, it wasn't bad.
He's probably due for an interception. His last one came on Jan. 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He has thrown 95 passes since then without an interception.
This week's opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, were tied for fourth in the NFL with 17 interceptions. They rush the quarterback well and the defensive backs are good enough to take advantage of mistakes made when opposing quarterbacks were under pressure.
The key to the NFC championship game could be whether the Eagles can force Purdy into some key turnovers. That hasn't happened yet in this postseason. That's practically unheard of for a rookie.