Getty 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy took heat for missed throws on Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy showed he took notes from former teammate and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Purdy executed a quarterback sneak for a game-tying scoring drive in a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, September 17. Garoppolo has his success with such a play as the 49ers starter from 2017 to 2022 before he left in free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders this year.
“We always try to figure it out, like what does Jimmy do so good on QB sneaks?” Purdy told reporters on Sunday. “He just found little creases and whatnot and got his shoulder pads down and found a way. That was really about it. I don’t think there was necessarily a secret to it or anything. … I learned a couple things, but he never really told me.”
Brock Purdy with the QB sneak!!
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Purdy finished the day with 206 yards on 17-25 passing with no touchdowns or interceptions. Despite the touchdown sneak, he only had five yards rushing on three carries for the day.
Kyle Shanahan Addresses Brock Purdy’s Miscues
His lack of passing touchdowns and missed throws elicited questions afterward, but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan backed him. Shanahan elevated Purdy as the starter this season after a strong rookie campaign where he filled in for Garoppolo.
“The main thing he did today was protect the ball,” Shanahan told reporters on Sunday. “Besides those three misses, which none of them were easy, he took care of the football, didn’t give them a chance to touch it, but when he was under duress, he was smart.”
Purdy, on the other hand, owned the blame directly. He didn’t let his offseason elbow surgery be an excuse, either.
Brock Purdy sheesh x2
“Those are on me,” Purdy said. “I’ve got to do better. I’ve got to hit them in stride and not overthrow them. It’s as simple as that. … That’s what you’ve got to do as an NFL quarterback, and I put that on myself.”
49ers star wide receiver Deebo Samuel likewise owned responsibility for missed offensive opportunities. Samuel caught six passes for 63 yards, but he also missed on three other targets.
“We’re gonna watch this hard, we know Kyle is going to come down on us hard,” Samuel told reporters on Sunday. “We missed a lot of opportunities out there. I feel like we left like four touchdowns out there.”
Kyle Shanahan: ‘I’m Always Extremely Irritated When We Don’t Score’
San Francisco scored 30 points for a second-straight week, but this felt different to many because of the tight win and missed chances in Los Angeles versus the Week 1 blowout, 30-7, over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 49ers punted three times and kicked two field goals in the second half to hold off the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
“I’m always extremely irritated when we don’t score,” Shanahan said. “It’s always frustrating. You expect to score. That’s how you try to attack. That’s what our players expect. We’ve got a bunch of guys who can make plays. … Hopefully we got a little bit better this week and it will continue throughout the year.”