Brock Purdy seeks the proper mindset after his 4-interception performance for the 49ers

Published Dec. 28, 2023 7:03 p.m. ET

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy hasn't had to deal with many rough outings in his brief career in the NFL.

That's what made his four-interception performance on a big stage Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens so unusual as Purdy was unable to strike the proper balance of when to take chances and when to protect the ball.

“It’s just not being in the right state of mind as a quarterback, having the aggressive trigger to make the throw, the big play, but also shoot, dude, you don’t want to turn the ball over again,” he said Thursday. “It’s just a sucky state of mind to be in. That’s the learning experience of going back and just taking it and saying every play has a life of its own.”

Purdy's night got off to a bad start when he forced a pass in the red zone to Deebo Samuel on San Francisco's opening drive only to have safety Kyle Hamilton step in front of it for an interception.

That came after two big passes to George Kittle got San Francisco into scoring position and made Purdy overly aggressive to fit in a perfect pass.

“Obviously looking back on it, it was not the right decision, wasn’t the smart play as a quarterback,” he said. "That’s something that I have to grow in, in terms of you make some big plays and stuff, but every play has a life of its own. Now whatever play is next, you’ve got to play the play the right way and not just feed off the emotion and everything that you felt from the previous plays.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan described the other three interceptions as more bad fortune than bad decision-making with two coming on deflections that landed in the hands of defenders instead of falling to the ground and another after he was hit as he threw.

His biggest concern was the way Purdy played after throwing his fourth interception early in the third quarter.

“It’s tough to play a lot of football after you have four picks and stuff, especially when you’re down versus that type of defense,” Shanahan said. "I think that was the best experience for him. How to feel that, to know what’s happened, to know why it’s happened, and still have to go out there and sling it around and play. I think that’s the best experience you can get from that game.”

While the bad performance did deal a major blow to Purdy's hopes of winning the MVP, it did little to dampen the confidence his teammates still have in him.

They publicly backed him after the game and still believe he can help the team reach its goal of winning the Super Bowl just by playing the way he did in his first 19 career starts.

"I’m not going to tell Brock how to play the position," Kittle said. "I trust his instincts. He’s done a great job so far the last two seasons. He’s done a great job his whole career. However he wants to play the quarterback position, I’m OK with it.”

Purdy still is at or near the top of the leaderboard in most significant categories for quarterbacks as he leads the NFL in passer rating (112.2), yards per attempt (9.7), ranks second in yards (4,050) and touchdown passes (29), and third in completion percentage.

He has left the past two games with stingers in his left shoulder. He returned after a brief absence in Week 15 against Arizona, but stayed out the final eight minutes on Monday night against the Ravens.

He said he isn't concerned that it's a recurring issue.

“I was fine the whole game and then that one sack he just got me right,” Purdy said. "I landed on it just right for it to go off, but my feeling came back and everything. So, it’s just I guess part of the game.”

NOTES: The Niners remained without several key players at practice, including DT Arik Armstead (foot, knee), G Aaron Banks (toe), S Ji’Ayir Brown (knee), TE Ross Dwelley (ankle), WR Jauan Jennings (concussion), RB Jordan Mason (illness), RB Christian McCaffrey (rest), T Jaylon Moore (concussion). ... T Trent Williams (groin), WR Deebo Samuel (neck), DT Javon Hargrave (hamstring), CB Ambry Thomas (knee, hand) and LB Oren Burks (knee) were limited.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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Brock Purdy

National Football League

San Francisco 49ers