49ers play follow the leader, and Brock Purdy delivers both the football and the No. 1 seed
If there was any doubt as to whether the 49ers have themselves one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, it was erased Sunday on two plays within two minutes of each other in a 27-10 road win over the Washington Commanders.
It’s first-and-10, and the 49ers have the ball at their own 44-yard line. Purdy takes a shotgun snap and delivers a strike to Brandon Aiyuk for a 38-yard gain. They used to be called dimes. The 49ers call them dots. The coverage wasn’t bad, but it didn’t matter. First down 49ers at the 22-yard line.
Three plays later, it’s third-and-9 at the Washington 17. Purdy is flushed from the pocket and starts left, then breaks right to find room to throw. He’s directing traffic with his left hand, and Aiyuk breaks free in the end zone.
Touchdown. The 49ers had a 17-point lead, and the only thing left was to close out the win and enjoy life as the No. 1 seed in the NFC after Arizona shocked Philadelphia 35-31.
What a dime! #SFvsWAS on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/pepKsQ2H0Q— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 31, 2023
Brock Sturdy! #SFvsWAS on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/swwnI3JQET— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 31, 2023
The first pass was a deep strike down the right sideline. You know, the kind of pass Purdy isn’t supposed to be able to throw. The second one was pure creativity and playmaking. Making something out of nothing.
“Schoolyard football,” Aiyuk said.
It’s not like Shanahan drew it up, but he’ll take the end result.
“I was a little nervous at first, saw him running around,” Shanahan said. “I wanted to make sure we didn’t lose yards because we were in field goal range. But he created, bought some time, and when I saw that ball go across the field and looked to where it was and saw (Aiyuk) was all alone, I was quickly excited. It was a hell of a play by him to get seven there.”
Even those who subscribe to the fallacy that the terms “game manager” and “system quarterback” are derogatory in nature when it comes to quarterback play should admit at this point there is little if anything Purdy can’t do with the 49ers.
And suddenly, four of the most analyzed and scrutinized interceptions any 49ers quarterback has ever thrown in Monday night’s 33-19 loss to Baltimore had receded into the background.
Aiyuk tripled down on the notion that the 49ers have an extraordinary quarterback.
“He’s just playing the brand of football that he knows how to play and will continue to play because he’s a special, special, special player and I’m happy for him,” Aiyuk said.
Purdy finished 22 of 28 for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. On the 95-yard drive that resulted in the Aiyuk touchdown, Purdy was 5 of 6 for 86 yards.
Through 16 games, Purdy is completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The passing yardage is a 49ers franchise record, breaking Jeff Garcia’s record of 4,278 yards in 2000, with Steve Young now third at 4,170 in 1998.
In talking about it, Purdy did the same thing he does between the lines. He distributed credit like he does the ball.
“It’s an honor to come into an organization with the rich history this place has and break a record like that,” Purdy said. “I’ve got to say it’s a testament to the team around me, the dudes that I get to throw the ball to, the guys on defense, special teams, the coaches. Everything’s been good for me to come in and they’ve allowed me to have success and I’m very thankful.”
There wasn’t a lot of surprise from either Shanahan or 49ers players about Purdy’s bounceback game. They weren’t caught up in the week to week crisis-building that goes on outside the walls of the building, and had seen him up close and personal as he has evolved into a leader on a team of stars who look up to him.
The drive that put the game away came with running back Christian McCaffrey on the bench, nursing a calf injury. So apparently it wasn’t McCaffrey lifting Purdy and the 49ers to great heights. Instead, it’s been what it’s always been — Purdy and the 49ers lifting each other.
“Brock’s Brock,” McCaffrey said. “That’s the MVP of the league.”
Given that Lamar Jackson delivered in a huge way against Miami with a perfect passer rating in a 56-19 blowout of Miami, an MVP for Purdy in his second season isn’t likely, although it wouldn’t be surprise if he got one in the near future.
Shanahan thought talk of the interceptions was “exhausting” but had a pretty good idea how Purdy would handle it.
“He studied his tail off all week, practiced well, knew some of the reasons he made mistakes and just treated it like any other week,” Shanahan said. “He didn’t have any picks today, which I think will be good not to have to answer questions on those.”
Purdy was just as composed and even-keeled after a big win as he was after a tough loss — another quality that endears him to his teammates.
“Stay present. Don’t get caught up in what’s going on around you and what people are saying,” Purdy said. “For myself, it was understanding that and the process and routine I’ve done all season and since I’ve been in the NFL. That’s where my mind was at, especially after the last game. There didn’t need to be a drastic change in anything.
“I needed to be smart with the ball and execute. It’s as simple as that.”