SANTA CLARA — Quarterback Brock Purdy had to handle a lot in a short amount of time, from 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s play calls to quickly identifying Seattle’s defense.
But before he could decide where to throw the football, he noticed the feet of Seahawks safety Jamal Adams.
Adams was stuck between wide receiver Jauan Jennings, covering in front of him, and Deebo Samuel, diagonally across the field behind him.
“He was kind of a bigot,” Purdy said of Adams. “So I thought, ‘Okay, if Devo works, we can get over the top here.’
So Purdy decided to take a deep shot instead of throwing to Jennings, who was open as his primary target.
Samuel admitted he wasn’t running hard because he didn’t expect the ball to come to him. When he saw the ball fly towards him, he kicked it into gear.
The result was a 54-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that gave the 49ers a 14-10 lead in the Week 14 game at Levi’s Stadium.
“It’s definitely next level and really great quarterback play for Brock to see that,” 49ers backup QB Sam Darnold told NBC Sports Bay Area. “But that’s also how we’re coached.
“How it’s talked about in the quarterback meeting affects Brock and what he sees. Brock’s eyes were in the right place and he saw the right things.”
That long touchdown was just one example of how Purdy was able to take his game to the top level.
It’s no coincidence that Purdy leads the NFL in many of the most important statistical categories, including passer rating (116.9), completion percentage (70.2), and yards per pass attempt (9.9). With four games left in the regular season, Purdy has performed well enough to be in the league MVP conversation.
The best thing about him may be that he makes an incredibly complex look so simple.
“It’s something he does very naturally,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I think that’s Brock’s talent and it’s something you can’t always judge.
“How things look in your eyes is important. I think Brock is aware of things and the speed of things, and he knows the holes and the defenders and what they should guard against.”
Darnold, who entered the NFL as the No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets and is in his sixth NFL season, said he was surprised by the time when Seahawks safeties Adams and Quandre Diggs played an under route with a similar concept early in the game. He said there was.
“So when you saw it earlier, Brock is really good at that. He’s really good at understanding how players are playing in the game and when things like that happen. , you can tap into a certain look,” Darnold said.
“Certain plays and coverages can put guys (defensive players) in trouble,” Darnold said. “Brock is a fast processor in that regard. He can understand what the defense is doing in conjunction with our concepts.
“He’s really good at reading defenses and can progress himself very quickly.”
Darnold also pointed to Purdy’s preparation and being able to carry over talking points from Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Brian Griese from the quarterback room to the game situation. Darnold said arguments will include how the defense will try to cover up the reporting. Teams can trick Purdy into believing they are playing one defense and then switch to another at the moment of the ball.
Purdy has the ability to recognize those changes and react accordingly.
Darnold said he knew Purdy was a very good player when he chose to sign with the 49ers as a free agent. Darnold said he watched Purdy play late last season and was impressed after he started the season as the 49ers’ No. 3 quarterback.
And this season, he said he has seen young players continue to grow in all areas.
“I think the thing about Brock is that he’s just continued to get better throughout the season,” Darnold said. “The important thing is to continually improve and increase your stride at the right time. As long as he can do that, we’ll be in good shape.”
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