National Football League

How 49ers QB Brock Purdy can regain his swagger before postseason

Published Dec. 28, 2023 11:50 a.m. ET

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Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

The ability to play with confidence can be a fleeting thing in the National Football League.

For most of the season, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy played with swagger because of his MVP-like production in leading San Francisco to an 11-4 record and a second straight NFC West title.

But a poor performance like the one against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday could derail that confidence for a chunk of games if Purdy lets the bad vibes linger. 

The Iowa State product must regain his confidence after a disastrous outing in a 33-19 home loss to Baltimore. Purdy finished 18-of-32 (56.3%) for 255 yards, with no touchdowns and four interceptions. He posted a season-low 42.6 passer rating. The Ravens finished with five interceptions in all, picking off Sam Darnold once after he relieved Purdy, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder stinger for the second week in a row.

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects Purdy to be back on the field Sunday in a road contest against the Washington Commanders. Defensively, the Commanders allow a league-high 30.2 points per game and are last in total yards allowed per contest (384.3), so Washington could be the soothing balm Purdy needs to recover from his worst performance of the season. 

But while Purdy should be fine physically, can he mentally overcome the hurdle of playing poorly in one of the biggest games of the year as his team attempts to get ready for the postseason?

"It was just a loss," Shanahan told reporters this week when asked if the Baltimore game was a reality check.

Shanahan pointed to three of Purdy's interceptions as bad luck on tipped passes or getting hit before he released the ball. He also referenced the Niners' 102 penalty yards on 10 accepted penalties. 

"You play a good team, and you have five turnovers, and you have all those penalties. It makes it tough to win. I liked how our guys fought at the end." 

Purdy, who turned 24 this week, should lean on how he recovered from a poor stretch earlier this year when he turned the ball over 10 times during San Francisco's three-game losing streak. 

Is Brock Purdy a concern for 49ers after 33-19 loss vs. Ravens?

As during that stretch, Purdy on Monday seemed to press, sped up by a disruptive pass rush. Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald also did a good job of creating a cloudy picture for Purdy after the snap that resulted in 11 pass breakups for the Ravens.

"I think it's unbelievable how he's played for the past two years," San Francisco edge rusher Nick Bosa said of Purdy after the game. "Just being a young rookie last year, it seems like he's immortal out there. But no one is immortal. He's responded from not his best performance before, and I think he will do that again."

Among Purdy's strengths are his ability to anticipate throwing windows, play in rhythm and throw on-time and on target. The Ravens did a good job of throwing off Purdy's rhythm with perfectly timed pressure, which led to more tipped passes and throws off target.

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Against the Commanders, it will be important for Shanahan to get Purdy some easy throws to get him back in rhythm in advance of the playoffs. The second-year QB will have a chance to bounce back before things heat up in the postseason. And unlike last year, the 49ers have a chance to host all playoff games at Levi's Stadium. 

But first, the 49ers need to get healthy up front. Left tackle Trent Williams left Monday's game with a lingering groin injury but is expected to return this week and practiced on Wednesday. 

Williams was replaced by swing tackle Jaylon Moore, who suffered a head injury. The 49ers also lost left guard Aaron Banks to a toe injury. Moore and Banks did not practice on Wednesday. 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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