49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy had one of the more embarrassing performances he’s had in his career last Monday night against the Panthers. Purdy threw three egregious picks in the first half and allowed Carolina to stay in the game far longer than they should have.
It was one of the worst performances of his career, along with the Monday Night game against the Ravens on Christmas a few seasons ago where he threw four interceptions. All the questions surrounding his toe injury and his contract started to resurface even though the 49ers won 20-9.
Responding With His Best Game of the Season
Brock Purdy followed up his worst performance of the season with arguably his best performance of the year against one of the NFL’s premier defenses in the Browns.
Jim Schwartz’s defense was ranked in the Top-3 for most advanced metrics, such as Expected Points Added (EPA) and Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA). They have the game’s best defensive player and studs at all three levels.
Overcoming the Weather and the Browns’ Elite Defense
Combine that with frigid temperatures and winds over 20 miles per hour, it was a recipe for another disaster from Purdy. Instead, he played a clean game, avoided sack after sack, while finding the end zone multiple times.
Smarter Decisions: The Rise in Throwaways
There were a few statistics coming out of Sunday’s game that showed Purdy’s maturity and growth in this offense. Purdy had seven throwaways, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), which was the highest mark of any game in his career. Numerous times, the 49ers’ quarterback looked like he was going to be sacked, but he evaded the pressure and—rather than forcing the ball into coverage—smartly threw the ball out of bounds.
Against the Browns’ anemic offense, the only way the 49ers were going to lose was if Purdy and the offense turned the ball over and created extra opportunities for Cleveland. Purdy dumped the ball out of bounds and lived to fight another down in many instances. That was a clear sign of growth from the previous week’s ugly performance.
Purdy’s Defining Edge: Elite Sack Avoidance
The main advantage that Purdy presents over many of peers that he’s compared to is his sack evasion. His mobility and slipperiness allow him to get out of sacks and create plays with either his legs or arm. On Sunday, the Browns pressured Purdy on 58 percent of drop-backs, but only one sack came out of that.
On the season, Purdy leads the NFL in lowest pressure-to-sack rate, coming in at 5.8 percent—meaning that every 20 times Purdy is pressured, only one results in a sack. The next closest quarterback is at 9.7 percent, and the worst in the NFL is over 28 percent.
Why This Matters Heading Into the Playoffs
As the 49ers start to play more stout defensive lines and premier pass rushers in the playoffs, Purdy’s ability to avoid sacks and create plays with his legs is going to be a huge advantage. If he can do what he did on Sunday and avoid putting the ball in harm’s way, the 49ers are going to be a really tough out come January.
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