Cowboys' Parsons vows not to underestimate Purdy: ‘I'm a fan'

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Despite his rookie status, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has the respect and attention of the Dallas Cowboys ahead of their divisional-round playoff game on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday that the Cowboys don't look at Purdy as if he's in his first year. And it turns out linebacker Micah Parsons has been impressed with the 23-year-old from the jump.

"I think he's showed great poise," Parsons told reporters Thursday. "I'm a fan of Purdy. I think he came into everything the right way. He prepared like he was going to be the starter, and when his time came, he's shone a great light. So in terms of him being a rookie, I think he's surpassing a lot of rookies, even this year, who probably started for teams much longer and in great detail.

"So, I definitely wouldn't underestimate him. He might have surprised some people early on and they were probably thinking, 'No rookie's going to come in and beat us,' and he's taken them this far. Super excited to go against him and see what he's got, for sure."

Purdy helped the 49ers keep their current 11-game win streak alive when he came in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13. He hasn't lost a game since, and the rookie has made plenty of 49ers and NFL history along the way.

Parsons said Purdy's mobility stands out the most, and that the QB's speed likely surprised most of his opponents in the season's second half.

"It's cool, we're really going to have to get after him," Parsons said. "It's going to be fun."

The respect is mutual, as Purdy broke down how he'll approach Sunday's game with Parsons on the other side of the ball.

"I think it is instinctual, but also at the same time, you have to account for those kinds of guys on the defense," Purdy said of his mobility. "... I can still go out, but at the same time, I have to know they probably know I'm going to go left or whatever it is. So, it's always good to know that you're going against guys that are very athletic like Micah and all those guys up front. Yeah, I think it goes both ways, but you just have to make sure that they're studying you as well."

Dallas owner Jerry Jones also has been impressed by Purdy.

“Well I just see an inordinate rookie and inordinate play in his ability to convert,” Jones said in his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan's “K&C Masterpiece” on Friday. “His presence, I saw him get out of the pocket a little bit, avoid a potential problem with a tackler -- and then just came out of that like he had been doing it 15 years and made the play this past weekend.

“That’s exceptional, so we’ve got to realize that we just can’t [think] this is an inexperienced player, let’s play accordingly.”

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott knows what it's like to be a rookie in the playoffs. His first NFL campaign concluded with a loss to the Green Bay Packers in the 2017 divisional round, and Prescott still is looking for his first appearance in an NFC Championship Game.

The only thing standing in his way are Purdy and the 49ers.

"He's done a hell of a job, obviously, coming in," Prescott told reporters Thursday. "They haven't lost in his time playing, and he's efficient as hell. [He's] playing in a great offense, doing a good job of getting the ball to guys and making plays himself, getting out of trouble at times. I saw in the [49ers' wild-card win over the Seattle Seahawks] getting into the flats for some scores.

"Just a great young player."

RELATED: How Purdy keeps level head while experiencing success, stardom

Purdy has risen to the occasion and passed every test so far with flying colors as the 49ers' starter, but arguably his biggest challenge yet will come against Parsons, Prescott and the rest of the Cowboys on Sunday.

But if Purdy continues to do what he has done so far as QB1, Dallas is right to expect more greatness from the rookie.

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