The Brock Purdy experience is upon us, and it is far more impressive than anyone could have predicted. How can you be anything but enthralled by what’s happening?
The 49ers, with perhaps the most talented roster in the league and the makings of a team headed to the NFC Championship, lost both of their starting quarterbacks. That should’ve been curtains.
Yet, in defiance of all that we have come to expect and thought we understood about the NFL, here comes Brock Purdy. He’s slinging it, scrambling, and exacting misfortune on opponents with a rapidly-growing catalogue of eyebrow-raising plays.
The Purdy-related jokes are permeating the internet with a rapidity that belies the shock at how well he’s playing.
This wasn’t supposed to be so seamless, so outrageously feel-good. San Francisco was supposed to be in serious trouble, to fall out of the hierarchy of teams capable of making a Super Bowl run.
Not even close. Joe Staley’s assessment that the 49ers are still set up to compete, and that Purdy offers enough to execute the offense looks awfully accurate right now.
The 49ers look like the most dangerous team in the NFC. Helmed by a man drafted last because he was lacking all those grand measurables that supposedly decide what a player is capable of — viewed as too short, with too weak of an arm, not fast enough to be an effective runner, etc. — this team is still rolling.
But they’re not just winning. They’re vibing.
They singlehandedly removed Tua Tagavailoa from the MVP conversation and put the bested, ex-Shanahan coordinator frown on Mike McDaniel’s face. They picked off Tom Brady multiple times, then got him to sign the footballs. They’re imposing their will in the run game and blocking as effectively as they have all year.
But it’s this oddly swaggy, not-so-large dude from Arizona that’s got the locker room buzzing.
Teammates are buying Purdy because he put in the work before he got the chance. Multiple teammates have described him as the player on the team who watches more film than anyone.
Christian McCaffrey said Purdy was the one who helped him the most to adjust quickly to the offense.
He’s well-prepared, with an ability to make the staple throws of Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and enough craft, tact, and off-schedule ingenuity to create plays when the designed ones fall apart.
Purdy can play quarterback in the NFL. There is enough evidence, at this stage, to say he is a more than capable backup.
If you want to engage in hand-wringing about Purdy’s capabilities and career prospects — “is this a fluke? what are we really seeing here? does he have enough physical tools for this to be sustainable?” — go ahead.
Those questions are all fair. We also do not have the answer to them right now. Maybe we shouldn’t be asking them.
What we do have is the last pick of the NFL draft absolutely dealing in his first two games. Both of his performances have been nonsensically fun to watch.
Each time he makes a throw that has you scratching your head, or uttering a “yikes,” he seems to — in the vein of Jimmy Garoppolo — come right back with a massive play.
On Sunday, he threw a would-be interception on a zone blitz when a Buccaneers edge rusher dropped into coverage and he didn’t see him. It was negated by a defensive holding call.
The next play, he found Brandon Aiyuk — wide wide wide open — for a touchdown. It was underthrown, but got the job done, punctuating a two-minute drill that Purdy kicked off with a couple comeback completions.
Last week, he overthrew Aiyuk badly. His next throw was the laser over the middle to George Kittle that he delivered while taking a shot. It kick-started a touchdown drive and what would become an impressive performance under frequent pressure from the Miami Dolphins.
He has anticipation, preparation, and that off-schedule flair to him that has suddenly made him, specifically, must-watch TV.
Take that fourth drive as a case study.
He began with a Brett Favre-esque swim move against Joe Tryon-Shoyinka worthy of a Chris Berman “WHOP!” and then threw a tight-window ball to Deebo Samuel.
A few plays later, he stepped up away from pressure and hit Samuel quick. Samuel turned it into a first-down completion.
Not long after, Purdy pumped, saw something he didn’t like, then rolled away from pressure and hit Kyle Juszczyk in the flat for a near first down.
What came next was that throw to McCaffrey. It’s a “holy *insert your favorite expletive*” throw. Back foot, under pressure, back shoulder, in a window only accessible to McCaffrey for a touchdown.
Over the last few years, Jimmy Garoppolo has consistently missed throws down the sideline to running backs who are far more open than McCaffrey was. Purdy has made a throw like that in each of the last two weeks.
Alright, deep breath.
There’s a reason he almost went undrafted. His arm strength is definitely an issue. He checked into the wrong play on the opener. He missed quite a few throws, including a would-be touchdown to Deebo Samuel against Miami.
Defenses will adjust to his tendencies.
But man, number 13 can play. And he does so with a confidence that’s resoundingly infectious.
If you rewind back to the 49ers’ second drive, he even talked some trash to the Buccaneers sideline after his scramble for a would-be first down.
He’s got swagger that shows up in his knack for spinning away from pressure and making those adjustments moot with off-schedule plays. You can feel the energy at the end of these big plays which are suddenly becoming common.
It’s not that Purdy is better than Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance. We don’t have enough evidence to decide that. Garoppolo has a sustained resume of success, and Lance’s upside is far higher than Purdy’s.
But it’s the fact that you can ask that question and not know the answer — at least not immediately — that belies how compelling this impromptu ride is.
Sure, this could all come to a screeching halt.
For now, though, the Brock Purdy Show is something that has to be taken seriously. And it has all the signs of something which will make these next two months tremendously entertaining.