Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Baldy: 49ers QB Brock Purdy has Montana-like poise
Sep 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
's statistics from last Thursday night's game against the New York Giants don't paint the whole picture. Yes, Purdy threw for a career-high 310 yards, but the Giants defense was getting pressure on the San Francisco 49ers' second-year quarterback.
That didn't phase Purdy, though. He wasn't rattled. And that is just one of many traits that has one NFL analyst impressed with the 23-year-old.
"Obviously, the best that ever did it right there, Joe Montana, he had that. You couldn't rattle him," Brian Baldinger said Tuesday morning on 95.7 The Game's "The Morning Roast" show. "I'm not comparing him to Joe Montana. I'm not doing anything like that, but he does have that composure. He does have that poise."
Some passes have come close, but opposing defenses haven't been able to come away this season with a Purdy-thrown football. The 49ers quarterback is
one of four starting quarterbacks that haven't thrown an interception this season. The others are Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, Joshua Dobbs of the Arizona Cardinals, and C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans.
Purdy has thrown for 736 yards and four touchdowns through three games, putting him
on pace for 4,170 passing yards.
"He's outstanding," Baldinger said. "At the quarterback position ... it's about three things. ... It's about speed of decision-making because everything gets speeded up. When [Giants defensive coordinator Don] Martindale dials up a Zero Blitz and you've got a free hitter coming right at you, you don't have time to think about it. You hit [WR]
Ronnie Bell on a perfect throw for a touchdown.
"So it's speed of decision making. It's how many great plays you make, which you don't have to make a ton of them, especially with all the players they have around him. And then it's about mistakes and limiting mistakes. But limiting mistakes [while] still staying aggressive.
"You can eliminate mistakes and throw the ball in the stands. So what? You're not making anything happen. Like, this guy's making things happen without making mistakes. It's three games now. He doesn't have a turnover. He hasn't thrown an interception in seven straight games.
"I see some of the stuff that people say. 'I'm not wowed by him. He's not great.' I don't know. I see all the little things, the ball handling. ... Like he's constantly parrying punches in the pocket, and it's a great skill."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Baldinger below.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Baldy draws a Joe Montana parallel for 49ers' Brock Purdy
Joe Shasky from 95.7 The Game expressed his bewilderment on Tuesday morning, questioning why San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy doesn't receive the respect he deserves. The second-year player is coming off a phenomenal game, completing 21 of his 25 passing attempts for 333 yards and three touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Analysts quickly criticized Purdy during the 49ers' three-game losing streak, but the quarterback has played impressive football since then. In a conversation with respected NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, Shasky commended Purdy's ability to recognize what is developing on the field before and after the ball is snapped.
"He does so many things so well, and I'm just blown away at the way
49ers QB Brock Purdy: "I feel like my arm has gotten stronger"
A few weeks before training camp, Brock Purdy felt more comfortable with his deep ball. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback was still only four months removed from offseason surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing arm. With external doubts surrounding his availability for the start of the regular season, Purdy surprised everyone by being cleared to practice at the start of training camp.
Still, his arm wasn't quite where he wanted it to be just yet. That was expected. With time, he got more comfortable, and the strength returned to where he wanted it to be. That didn't just mean getting the football 50 yards downfield. It meant doing that consistently.
"I was still trying to get to that point [during training camp], build up
Why 49ers' Brock Purdy has 'all the confidence in the world' in Brandon Aiyuk
Brock Purdy strengthened his chemistry with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during training camp, after the San Francisco 49ers quarterback returned to practice following offseason surgery on his throwing arm.
That quarterback-receiver chemistry has only improved as the season has progressed. On Sunday, Aiyuk caught five passes for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was his fourth game of the season with over 100 receiving yards.
"He's different from [WR] Deebo [Samuel]. He's different from [TE] George [Kittle]," quarterback Brock Purdy told reporters on Tuesday. "And so, sort of just taking note of that. And then B.A.'s just got length. He's got range. And so I know where he can get to and where I shouldn't throw the ball
What has surprised Kyle Shanahan about 'impressive' 49ers QB Brock Purdy
Heading into last year's draft, there was much speculation about quarterback Brock Purdy's arm strength—or perceived lack thereof. This narrative persisted even after the San Francisco 49ers selected him as the final overall pick and continued as the rookie quarterback took over the starting role due to injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Then, many questioned his effectiveness on deeper passes following offseason surgery to repair a torn UCL in his throwing arm.
This season, only Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence boasts a superior Pro Football Focus grade when throwing beyond 20 yards (97.4 vs. 97.2). Additionally, when targeting players beyond that mark, Purdy trails only Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in passer rating
