Getty Brock Purdy has a plan for the rain in Philadelphia.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will revert to an old college plan when facing the Philadelphia Eagles if it rains.
Purdy, who had trouble in a rainy Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, plans to wear gloves as he did at Iowa State. Philadelphia has a 58% chance of rain in the forecast on December 3 when the two NFC powers meet.
“Yeah, I think sort of just going into it, like just being ready for obviously the rain,” Purdy told reporters on Thursday. “In Cleveland it sort of came out of nowhere in a sense, like mid-drive it started raining, so it was a little tough to deal with that one drive.
“But to maybe have a plan of if I need a glove, if I don’t, if it’s down pouring, if it’s a slight rain, that’ll just probably be one of those decisions once we get there and you see the weather and how it is right before the game starts, but those are things that I’ll definitely be thinking about,” Purdy added.
Brock Purdy is struggling in the rain ☔️
He didn’t have his best game in the rain at Cleveland when he completed 44.4% of his passes for 125 yards and a touchdown versus an interception. Purdy had a season-low 55.3 quarterback rating against the league’s top defense on a wet field.
“Yeah, I think if it’s a down pouring rain, putting on a glove, I think for me at least, sort of just helps, obviously a little bit more tack on the ball and whatnot,” Purdy said.
“If it’s a light rain, I don’t know if that’s necessarily a necessity. I feel like I can grip the ball just as fine with or without a glove with a light rain,” Purdy added. “So, if it’s down pouring, I feel like having something to help the hand sort of grip the ball, that’s really the only difference.”
Purdy competed 70% or more of his passes for 209 or more yards in every game since that soggy day in Cleveland, but none of the past five games involved rain.
Brock Purdy Downplays Return to Philly
Purdy’s magical rookie season and playoff run ended abruptly 11 months ago in Philadelphia when he sustained a season-ending elbow injury.
The 49ers didn’t have an answer after Purdy’s exit in a 31-7 defeat against the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Despite the historical significance of the matchup, Purdy downplayed it all.
“I guess people can make it like that,” Purdy said. “Really for us like I said, we’re later in the year so every single game is huge in terms of going in the playoffs and setting yourself up for where you’re going to be in the playoffs.”
Brock Purdy Concerned About Playoff Implications
San Francisco (8-3) sits two games back of the Eagles (10-1) for the NFC’s top playoff seed. The 49ers need a win on Sunday for any shot at the top spot and earn a bye as the No. 2 seed no longer receives a bye in the seven-team field.
“So for us, that’s how we’re looking at it. That’s how I’m looking at it. Yeah, it’s going to be a tough place to play,” Purdy added. “They’re a really good team. They’ve found ways to win this year and they’re really good. So for us it’s another great challenge.”
“But to say, have I had this game circled for the last year? Honestly it hasn’t been like that for me,” Purdy added. “It’s been how can I be the best from the beginning of the season to where we are now. I’ve taken one day, one week at a time, and this is our next challenge, Week 13 in Philadelphia.”