NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Brock Purdy is BACK. The 49ers took the field in Pittsburgh and did what they do which is be aggressive and nasty on defense, and made plays on offense. Starting off with 391 total yards and a few explosive plays to boot. The one thing that people should have taken away from this game is that QB Brock Purdy is number one healthy and number two he is a legit NFL quarterback and the Niners are in good hands with the young signal caller.
His stat line was not eye-popping like Tua Tagavaloa in Miami but it was a smooth performance even with the beast aka T.J. Watt lurking every pass play. The touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk was a great example of what makes him so good and keeps the Niner nation drooling about his growth. It was a quick decision to make the throw, and then the pinpoint accuracy to hit him on the back shoulder. One of his greatest skills is that he makes his choices on where to put the ball and when FAST. In a league where we see QBs hold on to the ball far too long or misread a defense that is not the case with Brock. He is already a top 15 signal caller in the league and the tape proves it. Even his counterparts are recognizing it with Cowboys star Micah Parson consider him a top 15 QB as he said on his show “The Edge”. Coming off a major injury all eyes were on the second-year pro and he answered a lot of questions within that first quarter.
He needs to improve on when he decides to stay in the pocket or bail and get some yards. After what we saw on Monday night with the Jets getting rid of the ball quickly is a must if you intend to play a full NFL season. He excels with his presnap reads and that leads to him making fast decisions having played a lot in college has helped without a doubt and he also is mobile enough to give his playmakers time and throw them into space. Being good at the easy throws makes things so much easier for the offense and at that he is elite. The 49ers are one of the top teams in the NFC and a legit Super Contender with a guy under center who is anything but a game manager. Complete pocket awareness, and the confidence and demeanor that screams I am HIM.
The word on the NFL street is with more tape on him opposing defenses have tape and can shut him down and adjust. Well, this is true but on the flip side with each start Purdy is improving at his job as well, and with the skillset he has in his bag sky is the limit. Kudos to the 49ers for understanding that keeping Trey Lance would have been a topic weekly and something they didn’t need. It is very clear who QB1 is and watching his rise up the signal caller ranks. Next up are the Rams who shocked most with a road win in Seattle and has an improving defense. Another shot for this team to put the rest of the league on notice as well as a division game which equals a real battle. If the Niners can get off to a fast start this should be a win, due to the fact that Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense isn’t built to come from behind and it allows San Francisco’s defense to do what it does best which is hunt. Nick Bosa showed little to no rust in week 1, what do you expect from him in week 2 with a full practice week under his belt? #FTTB
