San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy earned his first career road start in 2022 with a 21-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Since then, he has played three additional games in one of the loudest and most challenging environments in the NFL — and won all of them. Purdy enters Saturday night with a perfect 4-0 record at Lumen Field.
Now, the 49ers quarterback will look to make it 5-0 as San Francisco, once again an underdog, aims to secure a second straight playoff upset and advance to the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy's calm demeanor has been a constant throughout his rise, particularly in hostile environments like Lumen Field. So what has fueled his continued success in Seattle?
"I think the big thing is that Brock doesn't get rattled," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Thursday. "You can be as loud as you want, they're still probably not going to hear you there, especially if you're in the gun. And then, we know they'll be that much louder this week.
"But I think it's nothing really rattles Brock. He stays the same. As you guys have gotten to know Brock and all the situations, I don't think, when you guys talk to him, whether he's had a good game at bad game, I don't think he ever seems much different. He's always Brock."
That consistency shows up on the sidelines as well. Shanahan noted that Purdy's demeanor rarely changes during games, regardless of momentum or circumstance. That was evident during the 49ers' Wild Card victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, when San Francisco lost tight end George Kittle to a season-ending Achilles injury.
Even after committing a costly interception late in that game, Purdy responded with composure, continuing to lead the offense with confidence.
"That's what I thought was so impressive, having that interception with like eight minutes to go, we lose the lead, and the way he came back and played the next drive after that is the perfect example of that's what I mean by you can kind of see people's character, what type of people they are on the silent tape," Shanahan said. "And a guy who can act like that on that silent tape describes exactly the type of dude he is."
While the challenge of playing a division rival at Lumen Field in the playoffs is significant, Purdy believes execution will ultimately decide the outcome. He feels his team has what it takes to come away with the win and take one step closer to a Super Bowl return.
"It's one of the hardest places to play when it comes to the environment and the fans," Purdy said this week. "Every down matters, and you have to be on point with everything: your communication, the operation, things like that, because it all matters, it all adds up.
"But when you're on top of it, and you can execute on the road, it can feel really good when you do your job at a high level. So, tough place to play, but it's worth it if you're on top of your stuff."