Once chosen as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy was discounted as that year’s “Mr. Irrelevant.” Then he turned heads with his rookie year, with 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, and a record-since-1999 passer rating at 119.4 in the regular season after five starts as a newly minted QB.
Now Purdy’s back with a vengeance this year, having broken multiple NFL records in quick succession, and putting the 49ers on track for something special.
A Winning Pick For The 49ers
It may be early, but it’s already clear that Purdy was a great pick for the San Francisco 49ers. Despite his impressive 2022 run (which ended in injury), there were eyebrows raised when Purdy was selected as the starting QB over higher draft picks like Trey Lance. However, Purdy went on to bag seven different NFL records in just over a year, and he isn’t done yet. That’s why the San Francisco 49ers sit at +575 average odds to win this season’s Super Bowl. When those plugged into football punditry shop for the best NFL bets tonight, Purdy and the 49ers emerge as this season’s clear favorite.
While Purdy is lighting up headlines for his recent performances, the truth is that he also made some records in 2022. These should have been indicators of what was to come. For example, he was the first-ever Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in the regular season, along with the only QB to ever beat Tom Brady during their career start. With Tom Brady retiring, that’s an honor that nobody can take from Purdy.
Brock Purdy – Mr. Relevant’s Records
Given he was the last pick in 2022, the media followed tradition by calling him Mr. Irrelevant. That changed fast, with the team renaming him Mr. Relevant now that he’s on track to become one of the best QBs the 49ers have had in a long while.
Purdy led the 49ers to win all three of their first games this season, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, and the New York Giants. That first game was a wash, a 30-7 win for the 49ers that certainly built momentum for the squad going forward. This was also where Purdy became the first NFL QB in history to win all six career starts with two TD passes in each, along with getting a 95+ passer rating in each start. The game against the Rams was closer – 30-23. Thirty seems to be the magic number for this year’s 49ers team.
Then came their meeting with the Giants, who hunkered down with a blitz strategy intended to interrupt the Purdy-led offense. Despite more defensive attention than any QB would usually get during a game, the 49ers won with, you guessed it, 30-12. Purdy’s numbers speak for themselves:
The Giants blitzed Brock Prudy on 33 of his 39 dropbacks (84.6%), the highest blitz rate in a game in the NGS era.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 22, 2023
Likewise, Purdy averaged the fastest time to throw of his career (2.34 seconds).
💡 Purdy vs Blitz: 20/31, 247 yards, 2 TD
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During that game, Purdy threw a season-high 310 yards, breaking his own personal bests. This, along with plays by Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, saw the 49ers break an NFL first-ever record. During this game, they became the first team to rush and pass over 140 years across 8 consecutive reg season matchups. While some fans speculate about a record-breaking streak for the 49ers, the truth is that it has already started.
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