Getty Brock Purdy (right), 49ers quarterback
After three straight losses during which the offense struggled to get a foothold and key mistakes proved hugely costly, there’s been some doubt that crept in around San Francisco about the 49ers, who looked invincible in the NFL during their 5-0 start. Instead of pointing fingers around the locker room, though, the 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy took the blame.
That was the message the team got from Purdy this week, according to wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Speaking on the “Up & Adams” show, Samuel said Purdy was willing to take whatever blame was due.
“One thing I like about Brock, with the guys we have in our locker room, we do a great job with keeping his confidence up,” Samuel said (H/T NBC Sports Bay Area). “And one thing that stood out to me about Brock after we lost to the Bengals was that he’ll take full responsibility for his actions and he knows he has to play well, you know what I’m saying?
“So before we broke the huddle in the locker room, he was like, ‘Yo guys, this one’s on me. I got to be better.’ So that’s one thing that we like about Brock Purdy is that he takes full responsibility for his actions.”
Purdy Was in Concussion Protocol
There was some question about whether Brock Purdy should have been the 49ers starting quarterback in Week 8 against Cincinnati, of course, having taken a hard hit that sent him into concussion protocol the previous week. Samuel said that he did not see any signs of Purdy struggling with the knock on the head during the practice week, though.
“I think he was pretty good. After watching Brock in practice all week, I thought he did a pretty good job,” Samuel said.
There was a moment of concern with Purdy late in the loss to the Bengals when he took a hit and his head went hard to the turf. Coach Kyle Shanahan said that the play got his attention.
“There was a scare when you see the tape or when I saw the tape, but just talking to him after the game and talking to him today, he has been totally fine,” Shanahan said this week.
49ers Concerns About Brock Purdy at Quarterback
Still, there is wider cause for concern about the level of play the 49ers are getting at the quarterback spot from Brock Purdy. After the 49ers put up an average of 33.4 points per game in the first five games of the year, they’ve scored only 17 points in each of the last three games.
Purdy had a quarterback rating of 111.3 or higher in four of those five games, during which he threw no interceptions and recorded eight touchdowns. Purdy had the worst game of his 49ers career during the messy loss in Cleveland in Week 6 (55.3 quarterback rating), and though he has still had struggles, he has improved since.
Against the Bengals, Purdy had a massive individual showing, with 365 yards passing and a team-high 57 yards rushing. Purdy tried to do too much and threw two interceptions. Having a week off, and getting Samuel (who is out with a shoulder injury) back should be a lift for Purdy.
On the show, Adams showed a clip from a guest who claimed he was told that the 49ers’ view on their quarterback was that, “Brock Purdy is not the guy.”
To which Samuel rolled his eyes and said, “Let ‘em talk.”