Brock Purdy’s first game back following offseason elbow surgery went about as well as the San Francisco 49ers could have hoped, handing Mike Tomlin the worst home loss in his career with a 30-7 beatdown of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Purdy has gone from Mr. Irrelevant to rookie sensation to injured quarterback to stabilizing force in the Niners’ huddle.
“Purdy shut some haters up,” defensive end Nick Bosa said Sunday, via ESPN. “I think whenever a guy comes back from an injury, people kind of don’t expect him to make another leap in the second year, I’m just happy for him. He’s exactly who we thought he was.”
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The stats don’t pop off the page, as Purdy completed 19 of 29 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and a 111.3 passer rating, but with the defense dominating and Christian McCaffrey churning out yards on the ground, Purdy didn’t have to stuff the box score.
The second-year signal-caller continues to show masterful command of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. He rarely seems befuddled by the defense or late to a read like many young quarterbacks. Purdy’s ability to extend plays and still make throws brings a different element to the offense.
“You can’t tell the difference between him prior to surgery and then post-surgery,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “I think he did everything he was asked to do in the offseason and the team noticed it, which is why he’s got a ‘C’ on his chest. I’m just so proud of him. Just to watch his journey coming in last year to right now, he’s a dream to work with.”
Some might quibble that his arm strength isn’t the strongest or that he didn’t throw deep Sunday (one pass of 20 air yards), but those are probably the same people who see a Monet and quibble with the color scheme.
Shanahan’s offense doesn’t require the QB to constantly fit balls into tight windows or take YOLO shots down the field. In a short time, Purdy has shown he can make the proper read, get the ball out on time and, when needed, offer escapability to keep plays alive.
Starting the season without a hiccup after missing so much time following the UCL injury is an extremely good sign for the 49ers’ chances of returning to the NFC Championship Game.
“He’s taken this whole offseason as good as you can as a quarterback being injured,” Shanahan said. “He’s done everything he can to come back and he handles the pressure well and he really doesn’t change. I think that’s why the guys love him and I think that’s why he will continue to get better.”
On Sunday, Purdy became the first QB to win his first six regular-season starts while throwing at least two TD passes in each game. Purdy’s 117.5 passer rating is the second-highest among QBs in his first six starts in the Super Bowl era behind only Kurt Warner (131.5) — minimum 100 pass attempts.
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