Getty Brock Purdy could get benched if things go south against the Cincinnati Bengals.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy failed to deliver for a second-straight week, and it could be curtains in Week 8 with a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
That’s how Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated’s All 49ers views it. Purdy looked unstoppable last season when he took over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo. It only continued this season in Purdy’s first five games, but questions linger after back-to-back 17-point efforts and losses against the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
“He made things look so easy for the first 10 games of his career. He barely broke a sweat. But now he has lost a couple key teammates on his offense, and suddenly he has played so poorly in back-to-back losses that he has been one of the primary reasons the 49ers lost both games,” Cohn wrote in a story published October 24.
BROCK PURDY PICKED OFF AGAIN 😮
THE VIKINGS DEFENSE SEALS THE WIN 😤
Purdy couldn’t move the ball on offense against the Browns on October 15, with a career-low 125 yards passing for a full game. Against the Vikings, Purdy threw a career-worst two interceptions on Monday, October 23.
Cincinnati ranks below both the Browns and Vikings for total defense. The Bengals allow 355.8 yards and 21.2 points per game.
“So if he plays poorly against the Bengals and is one of the main reasons they lose to Cincinnati, the 49ers might have to turn to Sam Darnold after the bye week,” Cohn wrote.
The 49ers signed Darnold, a former No. 2 pick, in March as a backup. He won the second-string job in training camp, beating out former 49ers quarterback Trey Lance.
“Of course, none of us expect Purdy to struggle against the Bengals — most people still think he’s a good quarterback,” Cohn wrote. “But most people thought he would beat the Browns and the Vikings. Instead, he threw three picks in those games, including two at the end of the Vikings loss when he had opportunities to bring the 49ers back from behind and be a hero.”
49ers Not Doing Enough in the Run Game
Part of the 49ers’ problems have stemmed from not doing what the team does best on offense — running the ball with Christian McCaffrey. The Vikings held McCaffrey to 45 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and the 49ers had 65 rushing yards overall.
“The 49ers pass the ball less frequently than just about every team in the NFL — they don’t want their quarterback to make mistakes and lose games. Kyle Shanahan feels they can win in spite of their quarterback,” Cohn wrote.
San Francisco has the league’s third most rushing attempts (220) and the fourth fewest passing attempts (194 in a three-way tie). Against the Vikings, it looks the opposite, as the 49ers only rushed 22 times but relied on Purdy’s arm with 30 pass attempts, his second most this season.
Purdy threw more passes, 37, against the New York Giants on September 21, but the Niners led the whole way.
Comebacks Evade Brock Purdy
Back-to-back failed comebacks by Purdy and the 49ers now leave questions about whether the second-year signal caller can consistently lead a team to victory late in the game.
Purdy has led a fourth quarter comeback twice in his brief career. The first came against the Las Vegas Raiders in January, a 37-34 win, followed by a 19-12 playoff comeback win against the Dallas Cowboys.
If Purdy and the 49ers get behind the Bengals in Week 8, he will need to lead his third career comeback after the last two games slipped away. If not, Darnold could be throwing passes for the Niners.
“So much is at stake for Purdy this weekend,” Cohn wrote.
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49ers’ Brock Purdy in Danger of Benching, Analyst Says