Brock Purdy played an unforgettable NFC divisional run until he achieved one of the biggest wins in 49ers playoff history.
There is a lot to weigh in on Purdy’s diminished performance in the 49ers’ 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the NFC postseason on Saturday at Levis Stadium.
But at the end of the day, Purdy – 24 years old and mature beyond his years – knows that nothing automatically moves on to the next game.
And the next contest is, of course, the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions at 3:30 p.m. PT on Sunday at Levi Stadium.
He said the first step to using his game against the Packers as a learning tool was to be real with himself.”You realize where you’re at as a quarterback, how you played, and quote;
Purdy said And it doesn’t matter if you played good or bad, you can’t take that with you into the next week.
“Purdy completed 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards with one touchdown Saturday night in a steady rain.
He didn’t miss the awards, but he also got lucky when Packers safety Darnell Savage broke up a potential interception on the first drive of the game.
Purdy made up for the rough play he got in 3 1/2 quarters with the precision and game management of the team’s game-winning drive.
Now he’s preparing for a new challenge against a Detroit defense that likes to mix things up and throw opposing quarterbacks off balance.”It’s a new game.
It’s a new formula. It’s a new environment. Everything,” Purdy said. “Everything about it is new, so you pretty much have a clean slate.
You learn from mistakes, build on the good things done. But it’s a new game.
“A year ago, Purdy took over as the 49ers’ starting quarterback in early December, and everything happened so quickly at the end of his rookie season.
The 49ers were already playing good football at quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo and Purdy helped lift San Francisco offense.
The 49ers won the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, with Purdy at quarterback, and advanced to the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles.
San Francisco was one win away from a trip to the Super Bowl, but they played most of the game knowing they had no chance.
Purdy suffered a serious elbow injury early in the game.
Quarterback Josh Johnson was then forced out of the game with a concussion.
When Purdy returned to the game in the third quarter, he did so without being able to throw the ball.“Obviously for me, I was injured last year. It was screwed,” Purdy said.
“That was part of the game. Entering this game healthy; I’m fine.”I think we’re hungry and we want to get to the next game.
So we have to take care of business and take it one play at a time.”Immediately, the 49ers NFC title loss to the Eagles had only one touchdown this season, and there was no question.
Purdy Was the starter when he was cleared to play after offseason elbow surgery.
Purdy entered training camp, started Week 1 in Pittsburgh and played at an NFL MVP level for most of the regular season.
After going 12-5 in the regular season and earning the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs, the 49ers passed the Packers and will now face the Lions in Super Bowl LVIII..
