Let’s look at all the foolishness we tried to address a year ago and see how it’s aged
A year ago, I wrote a post highlighting every (bad) Brock Purdy take. I, of course, am just an irrelevant blogger so I didn’t expect anyone to listen to reason. One year removed, and with a larger sample size, it probably is a good idea to revisit all of this and see if anything has been further solidified.
Purdy has continued to play lights out. He is leading the league just about every number they have a QB stat for. He’s had a higher passer rating through his first 25 career starts than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. So why the disrespect?
Sixth round pick, I suppose.
I still maintain when some of these criticisms began, they were fair. For like, five games. After that, teams have had plenty of film to start breaking him down. Purdy even recently has said he has noticed defenses adjusting to his game.
I grabbed the takes and figured we’d take a look at it now that we have another year.
He benefits from Kyle Shanahan’s system, all quarterbacks do
I already mentioned C.J. Beathard and Nick Mullens, and also Johnny Manziel; Quarterbacks who never set the world on fire with differing results.
Let me bring up another quarterback. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. How’s he been playing? During the offseason, it was said he had a great system with weapons, a running back, etc. He’s definitely not benefitting from the system.
So if Williams, as a rookie, was drafted into a system and currently doesn’t look too hot, yet Purdy set things on fire as a rookie? Williams was the first pick overall in 2024. Purdy was the last pick overall in 2022.
He’s a system quarterback
Again, so were Joe Montana and Tom Brady. I’ve already used Montana’s Kansas City Chiefs example. It is a coach’s job to make an offense that benefits the quarterback calling it. Why did Shanahan/Lynch move on from Colin Kaepernick? Because that system wouldn’t work for him.
How did Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos work out? What about Sam Darnold? He’s been all over the place and is now doing well with the Minnesota Vikings. So well people wonder if the 49ers kept the right quarterback.
Kyle Shanahan develops offensive systems around his quarterbacks (See RGIII and Trey Lance), which is what good offensive coaches do, rather than fit a square peg in a round hole. That said, the offense Shanahan has wanted to run is the one seen with Purdy.
He can’t throw the deep ball
I’m just going to leave this nugget of info here:
Statistical quirk on #49ers QB Brock Purdy:
In 2023, he was 8th in the league in completions on passes traveling 20+ air yards (26) and 1st in completion % on such throws (60.5%).
This year so far? 1st in completions (9), 8th in completion % (47.4%)
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) October 4, 2024
He lacks arm strength
When do you need to throw it that far across the field? Twice a season? That’s not my take, Mark Schlereth said the same thing:
Who gives a crap about arm talent? 70 yard throws. People rave about arm talent. I always hear this, “Oh it’s about the arm talent.”
When do you throw a 70-yard ball? Never. Maybe once or twice a season on a Hail Mary. You don’t. It’s about what you do from here to here *guides hand from neck to top of head*
He’s still got to play a game where there’s adversity, and he comes from behind
This take has not aged well. It was already bad. So, so bad. How bad? It honestly looks like something I would say.
Now that’s really bad.
I used the Las Vegas Raiders game last year, but that became obsolete after he did this.
We don’t know what he will be like in crucial moments in the postseason
Much like the previous take on coming from behind, this is just foolish if you watched the games. Did Purdy play four quarters of good football in the NFC Divisional and the NFC Championship? No.
Did Purdy play well when it mattered at crunch time? Yes.
Did Patrick Mahomes do the same thing in the Super Bowl? Yes.
We already did the “Play from behind” take later but he dug the 49ers out of a massive ditch (thanks to the defense) in the NFC Championship and took them to the Super Bowl. He also may have won them a Super Bowl if the offensive line didn’t decide to go rogue.
He can’t play four full quarters of football well in the postseason
Neither did Patrick Mahomes. Quit while you’re ahead. Or, slightly behind.
He’s got weapons, it’s all the pieces around him
Let’s see here
No Christian McCaffrey
No Deebo Samuel for some stretches in games
Brandon Aiyuk is in La-la land
George Kittle out for a game or two
And let’s see here, he’s thrown for 1,130 yards (ranked fourth) and is in the top 10 of just about every category that matters for 2024.
His rate of interceptable throws is high
Are they intercepted though? He has two picks across two games. One of which I don’t really put on him as it was deflected at the line of scrimmage, your opinion may be different.
He has a good defense
Ha.
You do you. Feel free to backpedal though if you want.