Brock

Purdy

Battling the wind and an elite defense, Purdy had his first multi-pick start since before Thanksgiving, but the 49ers still managed to spring the upset thanks to surprisingly feisty defense and some well-timed big plays on offense. That included a third passing score via former college quarterback recruit Jauan Jennings on a fourth quarter trick play. Both of Purdy’s giveaways were bad decisions in the vicinity of DB Quinyon Mitchell, but he rode hot connections with Christian McCaffrey and DeMarcus Robinson to keep the Niners in the game. Another massive test now awaits for the Divisional Round, as the Niners must venture back to Seattle for Part 3 of their Seahawks trilogy, this time without George Kittle (Achilles). It can be done, but will take a much better performance than Purdy delivered in Philly.

Purdy got crushed by multiple Seattle defenders on his final play of the 49ers’ Week 18 loss to the Seahawks. He stayed on the field for a while before heading into the blue medical tent. Kyle Shanahan called the injury a stinger in his left shoulder after the game. He also told reports Purdy could have returned to the contest. He will likely be dealing with some pain in the Wild Card Round, but Purdy will be out there.

Purdy only managed one real drive of any consequence. Leading off the fourth quarter, Purdy had the 49ers in goal-to-go only to watch a double-tipped (by the defensive lineman and Christian McCaffrey) pass land in Drake Thomas’ arms. The 49ers missed Trent Williams, but this was also a case of Kyle Shanahan getting schematically pantsed by Mike MacDonald. Purdy had just 77 yards before that fourth-quarter drive, and was left with a bloodied throwing thumb while taking some huge hits on San Francisco’s final drive. The 49ers will be either the No. 5 seed in the NFC if the Rams lose to Arizona on Sunday or, more likely, the No. 6 seed if the Rams win. Purdy took a huge hit on the final play and looked shaken up, but Shanahan said he could have gone back in, meaning he will be good to go for the Wild Card Round.

Purdy’s only blemish on an otherwise spectacular outing occurred on the first offensive play from scrimmage, when a tipped ball resulted in a pick-six to ignite the game environment in what would become one of the games of the season. The former Mr. Irrelevant completely willed the team to victory to keep their chances of the No. 1 seed in the NFC intact, something they’ll battle the Seahawks for on Sunday night. Arguably the most insane play was a touchdown pass to Kyle Juszczyk towards the end of the third quarter in which Purdy avoided two separate would-be sacks before nonchalantly flipping the ball to the perimeter for a score to his fullback. There were numerous highlight reel plays for Purdy on the evening — who finally looks healthy and is showing to be more than a Shanahan-driven point-and-click quarterback right now.

The 49ers leaned on running back Christian McCaffrey heavily throughout but the touchdown variance swung hard in Purdy’s favor, tossing two scores to McCaffrey, one to George Kittle, one to Demarcus Robinson, and capping it off with one to Jauan Jennings. Purdy’s only blemish went down as a tipped ball interception in the fourth quarter but the defense would add a pick-six on the following possession for the team’s highest scoring output of the season as they keep their eyes fixed on the No. 1 seed. They’ll need to beat the Bears and Seahawks in the final two weeks to secure the only bye out of the NFC, which begins on a short week when they host Chicago in Week 17.

Purdy also added 44 rushing yards on seven carries. The 25-year-old looked good on Sunday. The 49ers didn’t need him to do much, but he took what the Titans defense gave him all game long. His receivers seemed to get open at will against the beat-up secondary, but Purdy also hit them in stride and made every throw he needed to make, including two clutch ones on the final fourth-quarter drive to seal the win. He also added a career-long 26-yard scramble, and his ability to escape the pocket and pick up yards with his legs was on full display here. Purdy will see a bit of a tougher defense next week against the Colts, and he remains a rock-solid QB2 option.

Purdy, who has struggled in cold conditions in the past, managed the offense well and made a number of strong throws on Sunday in windy Cleveland. Purdy connected with Jauan Jennings for a short touchdown and ran one in for three yards out, saving his fantasy day against the elite Browns defense. It was a nice bounce back effort for Purdy after last week’s three-interception performance against Carolina. Purdy will be a solid fantasy option in Week 15 against the Titans when the 49ers return from their bye.

After leading the team down the field for a touchdown to wide receiver Jauan Jennings on their first possession, Purdy threw three interceptions on consecutive drives that kept the Panthers in the game. His first gave Carolina the ball inside the red zone and his second took points off the board as Mike Jackson picked him in the end zone. The offense would rally behind support from their defense, with Christian McCaffrey adding a second half touchdown to coast to the victory. The win sends the team to 8-4 as they prepare to face the tenacious Browns in Week 13, before heading to their bye a week later.

He’ll be a QB1 after last week’s decimation of the Cardinals for three touchdowns in a game where the 49ers eased off the gas in the second half. The Panthers defense is an attractive pass-funnel matchup for the 49ers, and one where we should see Purdy putting up mid-range QB1 numbers at least.

Purdy returned to an efficient Kyle Shanahan offense, getting on a roll early and completing 73-percent of his passes on the day. His first completion was to Jauan Jennings for 25 yards, finishing the same drive dropping a pass right into the George Kittle’s hands for a first quarter touchdown. He had two near-interceptions, both in the second quarter and dropped by Cardinals defensive backs. Outside of those throws, Purdy took the simple looks and leaned on Kittle, Jennings, and Christian McCaffrey on the day. At full health, Purdy is a low-end QB1 for Week 12 against the Panthers.