Brock Purdy once again excelled throwing over the middle against Philadelphia, with one throw earning effusive praise.
Despite two interceptions, Brock Purdy delivered another impressive playoff display as the 49ers shocked the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round, his performance one that typically featured some excellent throws over the middle.
Purdy was 13/18 throwing between the numbers against the Eagles, racking up 197 yards on those throws and tossing two touchdowns and an interception.
Arguably the best throw of Purdy’s day came in the second quarter on the play immediately after the Achilles injury suffered by George Kittle. Purdy hit Jauan Jennings for a 45-yard gain on a superb ball that saw him layer the throw over the head of Zack Baun, fitting it perfectly into the gap between Baun and the deep safety.
It was described as an A+ ball by Tom Brady on the Fox broadcast, and it led to a field goal that would ultimately play a crucial role in settling a game decided by four points.
Purdy has excelled at hitting receivers on in-breaking routes throughout his career and, speaking in his press conference on Tuesday, Kyle Shanahan was asked if he had worked with a quarterback who did a better job at layering those throws over the middle.
Shanahan replied:
“Matt Ryan was pretty good at layering balls. But, I’m not going to say anyone’s better than Brock at it. That’s probably one of Brock’s best things. He can really drop it in a bucket. The guys can be deep and if there’s a way to get it over that guy and bring it down before you sail it over a receiver, he’s going to do that and he doesn’t miss it very much.”
It’s extremely high praise from the 49ers head coach, and they are words Purdy will need to vindicate in the Divisional Round against the Seattle Seahawks on the road.
In the Week 18 matchup with the Seahawks, Purdy completed 10 of his 11 passes between the numbers, yet only managed to tally 53 yards on those throws, speaking to Seattle’s ability to squeeze the throwing windows and pressure Purdy into getting the ball out quicker than he would like.
With Trent Williams back at left tackle, having missed Week 18, Purdy should have the benefit of better protection against a talented Seahawks front. Additionally, with wide receiver Ricky Pearsall seemingly trending towards a return from injury, he may also have another playmaker who can help the 49ers stretch the field and create more space underneath.
But the formula for Seattle’s defense is unlikely to have changed. The Seahawks know that, if they can succeed in taking the in-breakers away, that will put them in good standing to produce another dominant defensive showing akin to the one they delivered in the 13-3 win at Levi’s Stadium a couple of weeks ago. With the odds stacked against him, it may well take a few more superbly placed layered throws from Purdy to ensure the Seahawks do not succeed in that aim.
Category: General Sports
