Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner urges professional and amateur analysts alike to see beyond the statistics when evaluating San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's recent performances. According to Warner, the second-year quarterback's play is more impressive than the numbers suggest.
Purdy had a spectacular streak of not throwing an interception in his first 13 starts, including the playoffs. However, in the last three games, he's thrown five total interceptions, with two in each of the most recent two outings.
Fair or not, quarterbacks often bear the brunt of criticism when a team struggles. The 49ers averaged 33.4 points per game during their five-game winning streak to start the season. In their last three games, all losses, they've only managed 17 points per contest.
Despite the mounting defeats, the most recent being Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Warner believes Purdy is still playing well.
"[Y]oung man is playing some really good football," the former NFL quarterback wrote, adding that mistakes should be expected, as no one is perfect (h/t to Jordan Elliott of NBC Sports Bay Area).
Warner emphasizes that evaluators shouldn't rely solely on the statistics, as they can be misleading and don't paint the whole picture.
Those ppl out there saying @brockpurdy13 is struggling aren't watching the games… young man is playing some really good football - making all kinds of plays (not w/o mistakes, but who does)!!! Quit looking at stats - they should back the narrative, NOT create it!!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) October 30, 2023
While not explicitly blaming Purdy, tight end George Kittle recently identified the team's failure to protect the football as a significant factor in their struggles over the last three weeks.
"Turnovers really hurt you," Kittle said. "And there's no pointing of fingers like that. There's plays that can be made all over the football field, but it's hard to win football games when you have three turnovers."
Warner took to Twitter (or X) to break down the game footage from Sunday's game, aiming to show fans why Purdy's interception count shouldn't be the sole measure of his performances.
Here's a little of the @brockpurdy13 stuff I'm seeing… lots of things go into playing position… sometimes the D wins, sometimes the details get you, sometimes you're sped up & sometimes you just need to do better… welcome to NFL QBing! #StudyBall pic.twitter.com/iBeWEbUghh
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) October 30, 2023
On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if the 49ers would contemplate a quarterback change during the bye week, to which he replied, "No."
Shanahan was clearly and understandably perplexed as to why he was being asked the question in the first place. When pressed for an explanation why a change would not be considered, the coach simply stated, "Because no one just changes our quarterback for no reason."
As the 49ers head into their bye week, they are focused on identifying and addressing their shortcomings, hoping to break their three-game losing streak with a victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.