If not prompted by the media asking questions, Brock Purdy might not ponder topics like clinching the top seed in the playoffs or the NFL MVP race. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback remains steadfastly focused on the task at hand—beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. All other discussions can wait.
Still, the 49ers find themselves in the driver's seat in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Achieving that would increase the team's chances of achieving its ultimate goal: winning the Super Bowl.
"It's no secret." Purdy stated Tuesday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR's "Murph and Markus" show. "If you get the first seed, you obviously get, that first round of [the] playoffs, you have that game off. And so for us, it's like, yeah, I think anybody, any team in the NFL, can look at it and be like, man, you only have to win two games to get to the big game.
"And so that's something that we all know and understand. And last year, we sort of felt, not the pain, but had to play three games to get to the Super Bowl. So it's something that we all know, and it's right there in front of us. We just got to take it one day at a time, one game at a time, and everything will fall into place from there."
Purdy emphasized, "We can't get caught up in all that kind of stuff. For us, we know what's at stake, but, man, we're taking it one day at a time. We've got a very experienced team. They've been through situations like this before, and we all know how to handle it."
MVP Race
Purdy remains a favorite to win NFL MVP honors for his superb play this season. The 49ers quarterback was the betting frontrunner exiting Week 13's win over the Philadelphia Eagles but has since been overtaken by Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite the constant chatter surrounding the MVP race, Purdy remains grounded, prioritizing team success over individual accolades. However, arguing against Purdy having a better 2023 campaign than Prescott is tough. What does the quarterback think about all the chatter surrounding the MVP race?
"When I get asked the question and stuff, it comes to mind, and the first thing is what an honor," Purdy said. "I'm not taking anything away from that. It's what an honor, and very honored to hear that. But at the same time, I'm trying to do what I can for this team, for this Sunday, and for this practice or this meeting. I'm not getting caught up in awards and stuff like that.
"If anything, I look at it more as a team award. I have a great surrounding cast. I've got guys around me that are all making plays, a great defense, great special teams. And so that's a testament to the team that I have."
Chasing Down CMC
The 49ers got off to a fast start on Sunday against the Seahawks. On the first offensive play, running back Christian McCaffrey broke free for a 72-yard run, setting up the game's first score. The replay revealed Purdy chasing McCaffrey down the right side of the field.
I'm still not exactly sure if #49ers QB Brock Purdy was trying to get down for a final block or just looking to celebrate if and when Christian McCaffrey scored here but watch the top of the screen on the 72-yard run… (I'll ask him this week) pic.twitter.com/btEL2VSTZa
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) December 11, 2023
Purdy was the first to congratulate McCaffrey on the big play, prompting some fans to wonder how the quarterback got down the field so fast.
When questioned if he was aiming to block downfield for McCaffrey, Purdy confirmed, "Yeah, I was. I was like, You know what? If he makes a cutback, I'd like to maybe get in front of a guy or do something to help him score. He was pulling away, and it was tough for me to catch up. So there was one point where I was like, I don't know if I'm going to get there.
"But it would have been sweet to be able to get down there and help him score. He got caught around the five or so. So, looking back on that, I wish I was a little faster to help him out."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Purdy below.