Brock Purdy checks off another box and 49ers take control of NFC West.
Brock Purdy’s reaction to throwing a pick-six was key in the 49ers’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
A.P. Photo San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Common sense says Brock Purdy wasn’t going to go his entire career without throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
It finally happened on Thanksgiving night in Seattle. With the 49ers backed up on their own 4-yard line, Purdy threw short for Christian McCaffrey, only to have a deflected ball wind up in the hands of Jordyn Brooks, who returned the gift 12 yards for a touchdown.
A 24-3 halftime lead was suddenly 24-10, and there was still 11:23 left in the third quarter. The infamous Seattle 12th man sprung to life, realizing that if the Seahawks scored again, a rout would instead become a ballgame.
“We’re up by three touchdowns, then we just give them one like that,” Purdy said afterward. “Now it’s real and the game is back into play.”
The Purdy skeptics are dwindling in number nationally, but those that remain were interested in what happened next. If Purdy suddenly became timid and the 49ers lost, the Seahawks would be tied for first in the NFC West. Any thoughts the 49ers had of going to Philadelphia and staying alive in the race for the No. 1 seed would be dashed.
It should come as no surprise at this point that the opposite occurred. Seattle was within 24-13 in the fourth quarter when Purdy dropped the dagger, a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk that put the game away with 7:51 to play.
With the 31-13 win, the 49ers are 8-3 and a division title is almost assured barring an injury-riddled calamity. The Seahawks are 6-5, having been stymied by the 49ers defense but also losing to Purdy for the third straight time.
The win checked off another box in the too-good-to-be-true tale of a 49ers quarterback who continues to clear every hurdle put in front of him. Can you imagine Trey Lance making the same throw to Aiyuk? Jimmy Garoppolo? Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith? Jeff Garcia?
Nope. The only quarterbacks in 49ers history who made throws like that are named Joe and Steve and last names are not necessary.
Purdy finished 21 of 30 for 209 yards with the one touchdown and one interception. HIs passer rating of 86.7 was his third-lowest of the season after back-to-back games of 148.9 and a perfect 158.3 — unprecedented in the history of 23-year-old quarterbacks.
For what it’s worth, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan seemed to absolve Purdy of the blame for the pick-six, crediting Seattle with some clever defense.
“They were doing some disguises and got us in a check,” Shanahan said. “I shouldn’t have put that on him. Obviously it wasn’t the check we wanted and he ended up getting that tip. It was an unfortunate play but it didn’t faze him at all. He came right back and made a hell of a play that sealed it.”
Regardless of how it happened, it was a jarring sight to see Purdy make such a big mistake with his back to the end zone. Inexplicable interceptions, other than a couple during the 49ers’ three-game losing streak, have not been part of the Purdy experience.
Yet it has become increasingly clear that to characterize Purdy as a cautious decision-maker thriving on the array of weapons given to him misses the mark badly.
Anyone who watched the Chiefs-Eagles game Monday night saw Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts make some big mistakes, although since neither was the last pick of the draft, it doesn’t carry the same level of concern.
But Purdy is playing as well as either of last year’s Super Bowl quarterbacks, and the touchdown to Aiyuk that put the game away made for the second time in three weeks he had Shanahan cringing and then celebrating.
In a 34-3 win over Jacksonville, it was a touchdown pass to Aiyuk when Purdy threw late and to the middle of the field and got away with it. Against Seattle, Purdy could have taken a checkdown for a good gain and some time off the clock instead of attempting the touchdown throw.
“I couldn’t believe he was throwing it,” Shanahan said. “But Brock thought he could drop it in over the guy. It was a clear view for all of us and it was just a hell of a throw. Perfect throw, got it over him.”
Purdy made it clear he wasn’t being reckless in an attempt to make up for his big mistake.
“It’s not like, `All right, I messed up and I have to prove to myself or my team that I can make a big play to get us back in,’ ” Purdy said. “It’s nothing like that. I just went through my progression. I felt the safety come down just enough for B.A. to get behind him, and I ripped it.”
Aiyuk called the throw “a dot,” and Deebo Samuel was impressed at how Purdy handled a complicated Shanahan game plan on a short week.
“He’s playing at a high level, especially for what we do and all the plays and stuff we threw at him this week. For him to come out and play the way he played was amazing,” Samuel said.
McCaffrey can’t tell the difference between the Purdy who threw a bad interception and the one who was about to put the game on ice.
“Ice in his veins,” McCaffrey said. “He’s such a good player, man. He’s so consistent in the huddle, never too high, never too low. Whenever he’s got the ball in his hands and there’s a play to be made, he can make it.”
Purdy enjoyed the postgame experience eating turkey legs on the field and like his teammates was looking forward to a mini-bye before gearing up for his latest big test in Philadelphia — the place where his shredded elbow sealed the 49ers’ fate in the NFC Championship Game last January.
“We just won on Thanksgiving,” Purdy said. “We’re going to enjoy this one. We’re going to take the next couple of days to recover and clear our mind. The game plan, we’ll get to it next week.”
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