SANTA CLARA — Something more troubling for the San Francisco 49ers happened Monday night than quarterback Brock Purdy’s three first-half interceptions: what he turned into in the second half.
Purdy didn’t throw the ball past 10 yards in the final 30 minutes.
“I can handle this,” Purdy said after San Francisco’s 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers. “As a quarterback, you can’t lose confidence in yourself. You can’t shrivel back and take a bunch of checkdowns and stuff.”
A scared quarterback is as limiting as an overly aggressive one is dangerous. The 49ers can ill afford Purdy becoming a dink-and-dunker any more than they can stomach him throwing out picks like Halloween candy. Just launching 100 Grands to defensive backs.
Purdy must stop turning the ball over. We’ve seen head coach Kyle Shanahan put his quarterback on a timeout before. And we’ve seen how his lack of confidence in his quarterback robs his offense of dimensions.
That’s why Purdy must also resist the hesitance that comes with an interception rate (5.3 percent) that ranks second-worst in the NFL. He didn’t get $256 million to be careful, but to be confident, to sling it. The 49ers need a playmaker, a difference-maker. He can’t be that if he’s simply trying to avoid mistakes. He has to trust himself, trust what got him here.
That’s especially true next week when the 49ers travel to Cleveland. Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is in a zone right now with 18 sacks in 11 games and requiring triple teams to stop him. Shanahan always has a tough time calling plays against defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. And the banks of Lake Erie will be cooooold.
Can’t shrivel.
Especially not now.
“It’s tough,” Purdy said. “Mentality as a quarterback, you want to play aggressive, you want to take what the defense gives you, but when you turn the ball over three drives in a row, you feel the pressure. This is why we are put in this position. … I’m an NFL quarterback. It’s all about how you prepare and move on to the next.”
Purdy was 22-for-24 on throws inside of 10 yards. But outside of 10 yards, he was just 1-for-8 with three interceptions. It was enough against Carolina, thanks to the 49ers’ defense coaxing a rough performance out of Panthers quarterback Bryce Young. And Christian McCaffrey.
Purdy said his injured toe wasn’t the culprit. But at minimum, it’s cost him any kind of rhythm.
He hid some missed throws last week at Arizona behind a couple dots, reminding the world of his capacity as a playmaker. Monday night’s performance couldn’t be obscured by a few impressive plays — especially since he didn’t make any.
Shanahan said he liked the decisions Purdy made, but being a bit late cost him. It’s a good sign that the coach is covering for his QB. It means Purdy still has time before this becomes exclusively a McCaffrey show.
“He just had three throws he’d love to take back,” Shanahan said. “They were all three good decisions. He was just a hair late on them. And when you’re a hair late on stuff, you can’t throw it behind them. And he threw it behind him, and all three guys made him pay.”
Without question, the 49ers need the good version of Purdy. This defense has found a nice groove despite its youth and lack of star power. But in the push for the playoffs, they’ll need Purdy to win them some games. After two more losing teams, the 8-4 49ers finish with a trifecta of teams (Colts, Bears, Seahawks) that are each currently 8-3. San Francisco leads Detroit (7-4) by a half-game for the NFC’s final playoff spot.
The 49ers’ valiance in salvaging this season can’t be overstated. The best way to punctuate the effort includes Purdy finding his game.
His second interception revealed what Purdy needs to find. He stepped up into the pocket and a lane wider than the Bay Bridge opened in front of him. He started to run and had tight end George Kittle slanting in front of him into that open space. He had Ricky Pearsall running a similar route deeper than Kittle into the open space.
Safe, aggressive and risky were his options. Purdy chose risky, the deep throw to Pearsall, and was late doing so. He usually weighs those options better on the move. At least the quarterback who led the 49ers to two NFC Championship Games did.
The best of Purdy is turning that scenario into a big play. It’s having the combination of slinger and smarts to make the right decision. His whole career is built on seizing opportunity.
Can’t shrivel.
Especially not now.
That’s why key figures in the locker room echoed confidence in Purdy to figure this out. They know the competitiveness of Purdy. And how hard he is on himself. And how good he can be. And that he’s bounced back before.
“I never say anything after the first (interception),” Kittle said. “After the second one, I just said, ‘Dude, just take a deep breath, man. You’ve been here; you’re good. Just breathe. Let it out. Move on to the next play.’ That’s it. He’s a professional. He knows what he’s doing.”