SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Via his first 23 NFL begins, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has had his share of bumps within the highway, most notably the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his proper elbow suffered throughout final season’s NFC Championship Sport.
However Purdy had by no means had the kind of on-field struggles that he skilled Monday night time in opposition to the Baltimore Ravens. Purdy threw a career-high 4 interceptions, together with three within the first half, and the Niners completed minus-5 in turnover margin on the best way to a 33-19 loss that dropped them to 11-4 on the season.
“He is performed this lengthy, he by no means had a sport like this,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned. “It is fairly uncommon. That is the fact of the NFL. I am not saying it is sure to occur however want he did not have as many picks at present.”
Purdy completed 18-of-32 for 255 yards with no touchdowns for a passer score of 42.6, the worst of any begin in his profession. His night time ended early when he departed within the fourth quarter after sustaining a left shoulder stinger.
By the point Purdy reached his postgame information convention, he already was pondering how issues went awry in opposition to the Ravens and the way he’d bounce again from such a tough outing for an away date with the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
“It is the NFL,” Purdy mentioned. “Now we have some alternatives developing, and we nonetheless obtained two video games left within the common season earlier than we get into playoffs. For me, [I’m] attempting to take a look at the massive image of what we’re attempting to do, what our workforce targets are. However on the similar time, I’ve to look myself within the mirror and ask myself why or how that occurred and why I made these selections?
“Our workforce got here able to play, and for me to make some selections like that … it is not honest to those guys. I’ve to understand that and perceive that, and I’ve to get higher for my workforce.”
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Purdy began nicely sufficient, as his third move of the night time was a strike to tight finish George Kittle for a 58-yard acquire to Baltimore’s 28-yard line. He adopted with one other completion to Kittle for 13 yards. It went extra poorly from there.
On first-and-10 at Baltimore’s 15-yard line, Purdy compelled a move to wideout Deebo Samuel that Ravens security Kyle Hamilton stepped in entrance of for an interception.
Purdy mentioned he thought Samuel had flashed open however that he ought to have continued by way of his development and checked the ball down as an alternative.
“I believed the primary one was the massive mistake,” Shanahan mentioned. “And the opposite three have been fairly unlucky for him.”
Every of Purdy’s subsequent interceptions got here with some type of hit or deflection from the Ravens’ protection.
The second choose was deflected into the ready arms of cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
The third got here when Purdy tried to make one thing occur on a throw for Kittle throughout a scramble drill after operating again Christian McCaffrey had been flagged for a chop block. Purdy mentioned he was conscious of the flags and had a sense the penalty was on the offense, terming the choice to strive the throw throughout his physique “very dumb” as a result of he made a foul scenario worse.
That made Purdy the primary NFL participant to throw three interceptions within the first half of a sport this season and the primary 49er to take action since Nick Mullens in 2018. Purdy’s four-interception outing was the primary by a Niners quarterback since Colin Kaepernick did it in 2015.
With 8:19 to play within the fourth, Purdy took a sack from Ravens pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Purdy briefly departed final week’s win on the Arizona Cardinals with a shoulder stinger and endured an identical ache when Clowney took him down. The signal-caller jogged off the sector and rapidly headed to the blue medical tent as Sam Darnold changed him.
Purdy probably might have returned to the sport, however Shanahan opted to maintain him out largely as a result of the Niners’ offensive line was down three gamers, together with beginning left sort out Trent Williams (groin) and left guard Aaron Banks (toe).
“I do know he is disenchanted not having the ability to end it there, however getting that stinger once more, I simply wished to maintain him out of there,” Shanahan mentioned of Purdy.
Williams was injured whereas making an attempt to sort out linebacker Patrick Queen after Purdy’s fourth interception. Regardless of his finest efforts, Williams didn’t return. He’s scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday. Williams declined to talk at size after the sport however advised reporters within the locker room, “I am good. I will be all proper.”
Purdy’s career-low 42.6 passer score adopted a six-game span by which he had a 138.1 score — the best in NFL historical past over a six-game stretch, in line with the Elias Sports activities Bureau.
Now, Purdy may have a brief week to arrange for the Commanders.
One silver lining the Niners have been fast to level out after Monday’s loss is that they nonetheless management their NFC playoff positioning. Wins in opposition to Washington and the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 7 or one victory and a few assist would give the 49ers the NFC’s No. 1 seed, home-field benefit and a bye throughout the first weekend of the postseason.
However first, San Francisco will get a take a look at how Purdy rebounds following the worst outing of his two campaigns.
“I obtained to ask myself, ‘All proper, who’re you?'” Purdy mentioned. “‘What do you stand for? Who’re you when issues are good? Who’re you when issues do not go your method?’ It is simple to be driving excessive and considering you are the person when issues are going nicely, successful video games and all that type of stuff. And you do not actually see a complete lot of adversity in some video games and whatnot, and that is the fact of the NFL.
“I clearly need to look myself within the mirror, watch the performs able to get higher, make some cleaner selections, assist my workforce put up factors and rating and shield the ball. And when issues do not go my method, it is understanding I can not be performing out. I’ve to be actual with myself and be higher, however I need to be the identical man daily. I need to be constant in what I do and the way I do issues; whether or not issues are going nicely or not, I do know who I’m, and I am not going to waver from that.”
