OK, so maybe Brock Purdy isn’t the second coming of Joe Montana. With the Hall of Famer in attendance at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Purdy sputtered in a 31-17 loss to the surging Cincinnati Bengals. Once again, he was a turnover machine, throwing two interceptions on back-to-back passes and also losing a fumble. It’s a troubling trend for the former Mr Irrelevant, who started the season running Kyle Shanahan’s offense so effectively. In the first five games of the season, all of which San Francisco won, Purdy threw nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. In the last three games, all of which San Francisco have lost, he’s thrown five interceptions to three touchdowns.
After the game, Shanahan offered a mixed review of his quarterback: “He made some bad picks there at the end. I thought he was one of the reasons we were in the game today. Some of those throws he made were unbelievable.”
It is true that Purdy made several beautiful throws, including a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey across his body. But he made too many mistakes, including an interception in the red zone which came with equal doses of mental and physical gaffes. Purdy was supposed to handoff the ball but when that was botched, he tried to force a pass with his lineman blocking downfield.
Brock Purdy with one of the most comical interceptions of the season. pic.twitter.com/sgM5fHz5DL
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 29, 2023
Purdy’s play wasn’t San Francisco’s only weakness on Sunday. A 49ers defense packed with stars was picked apart by Joe Burrow who, it turns out, is a lot better when he has two functioning calves. But of all the Niners’ gaffes on Sunday, the biggest may have come from Shanahan starting Purdy in the first place.
Purdy had already struggled in the losses to the Browns and Vikings. Then he spent the week in concussion protocol. Yes, he was cleared to face the Bengals but he would have to again play without his trusty left tackle Trent Williams, not to mention Deebo Samuel. This seemed like a ripe opportunity to give Purdy a reset heading into San Francisco’s bye week. Every game in the NFL seems important but this one was not crucial. It wasn’t a divisional or even a conference game. The risks far outweighed the upsides, and it was an opportunity to see how backup Sam Darnold fits into the offense.
Returning so quickly after a concussion is already a bit dicey, yet Purdy scrambled around more than usual. And in the game’s final minutes he was slammed into the ground, grabbing his helmet as his neck snapped back violently. No one did a thing. The 49ers left him in there. The refs didn’t send him off to the blue tent, even though Purdy had suffered a concussion just six days ago.
Purdy’s a likable kid who quickly acclimated to Shanahan’s playbook. He is also a legitimate example of how some players truly slip through the scouting cracks coming out of college. Three bad games don’t make him a bust.
But by playing in this game and making his fair share of mistakes, Purdy enters the bye with a new mental battle. Some of his habits have been exposed, such as his propensity to throw it down the middle. He has quickly morphed from NFL Golden Boy to a punching bag, just like any struggling quarterback. Purdy is not the only member of the 49ers in need of some soul searching but he is arguably facing the most pressure. After all, San Francisco placed all their bets on Purdy when they shipped off Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
It’s quite possible Purdy comes out of the bye week with confidence and a deeper sense of purpose. Again, this is a necessity for the entire team and coaching staff. But you would think, given how much stock San Francisco have invested in Purdy, they would have sat him this week. The goal is winning the Super Bowl, not beating Cincinnati in Week 8.
MVP of the week
Will Levis, quarterback, Tennessee Titans. There were several spectacular performances in Week 8 – those of Dak Prescott and Burrow among them – but none was more surprising than that of the Titans’ rookie QB. Levis threw four touchdowns (three to DeAndre Hopkins) and zero interceptions, stepping in for the injured Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee’s 28-23 win over Atlanta.
Levis, known for his cannon of an arm, had been expected to go in the first-round of April’s draft but had to force a smile for the TV cameras as he slipped down the board. The Titans traded up to get him with the 33rd pick and may have found themselves a steal. Levis’s arm talent jumped off the screen throughout Sunday’s game, as did his poise and decision making. He did it all against a Falcons defense that entered Sunday ranked third overall. Tennessee now sit at 3-4 but are teeming with hope and ambition after Levis’s debut.
Bonus points to Levis for sprinting to his family and letting us in on such a heartwarming moment.
Stat of the week
1,014. That’s how many receiving yards Tyreek Hill has after just eight games this season, the only player to do so in the modern era. At several points in Hill’s career, he was deemed little more than a deep threat. But to go with his innate talent, Hill has worked on all facets of his game and is useful at all depths of the field in Miami’s offense. That was evidenced yet again in Miami’s 31-17 win over New England.
Hill’s quest for 2,000 yards – and whether Miami’s offense remains prolific – is one of the more intriguing storylines of the second-half of the season.
Video of the week
If there is any consistency in the NFL this season, it’s that there are phenomenal wideouts at every turn. AJ Brown once again made the case that he is among the best of the best. His one-handed catch on Sunday was not only jaw-dropping, it was timely. The Eagles were down 14-3 with 34 seconds left in the first half before Brown showed that his catch radius is immense. Brown was a force for the rest of Philadelphia’s 38-31 win over Washington, adding another touchdown and topping 125 yards for the sixth straight game, an NFL record.
AJ BROWN CONTINUES TO AMAZE.
— NFL (@NFL) October 29, 2023
📺: #PHIvsWAS on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Quwvdzpx7G pic.twitter.com/sBds7uLXan
The Eagles needed Brown’s heroics. Sam Howell (397 passing yards, four touchdowns, one interception) and Jahan Dotson (108 yards, one touchdown) teamed up to torch a Philly secondary that just added Kevin Byard and was supposed to be the healthiest it’s been all season. They also needed the continued incompetence of Ron Rivera, who failed to challenge a DeVonta Smith catch that wasn’t a catch on fourth and four in the third quarter that ultimately led to an Eagles touchdown.
Elsewhere around the league …
• What a brutal day of injuries for starting quarterbacks. Matthew Stafford left LA’s loss to Dallas with a thumb injury. Kenny Pickett suffered a rib injury in Pittsburgh’s defeat to Jacksonville. Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor was taken to hospital after getting knocked in the ribs. Most notably the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins, who has played so well in recent weeks, is feared to have torn his achilles during his team’s win over the Packers, an injury that would end his season. Achilles injuries have sadly swept the league this season ending the year for Aaron Rodgers, JK Dobbins, Tre’Davious White, and now Cousins.
• For the first two minutes, the Rams appeared on their way to blowing out the Cowboys. They brought extreme pressure, including the first of two first-quarter sacks for Aaron Donald. What ensued for Dallas was a few adjustments, a pick six, a blocked punt for a safety and a 43-20 annihilation of the Rams. Sean McVay looked shocked after the first quarter. Four Dak Prescott touchdowns later, he looked ready to hide under a rock. It was the 11th straight home win for Dallas. On deck next week: Cowboys-Eagles. Yes, please.
• What an odd game between the New York Giants and Jets, which swung between excruciatingly dull and, in the final minutes, thrilling. There were 24 punts, the most in a game since 2003, which isn’t that surprising since both teams have good to great defenses and terrible offenses. In mitigation, Zach Wilson had to quarterback behind an offensive line that lost two centers during the game, and the Giants, who managed minus-nine net passing yards in the game, were led by third-stringer Tommy DeVito after Taylor’s injury. The Jets are developing a talent for winning games late though, and Wilson, who has improved from putrid to merely below average in recent weeks, led a game-tying drive with 28 seconds remaining before another impressive drive sealed a 13-10 overtime victory.
• Russell Wilson isn’t in the Deshaun Watson class when it comes to NFL fans’ schadenfreude but more than a few people were taking pleasure in the Denver Broncos’ struggles over the last two seasons. But it was Wilson’s day on Sunday as he threw three touchdowns and the Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since 2015. In truth, it was the defense that was the most impressive unit for the Broncos as they forced four turnovers (the Chiefs also muffed a punt). Patrick Mahomes was suffering from flu-like symptoms and had “stomach issues” during the game, but the Broncos defense still showed up.
• In a battle of the No 1 and No 2 picks in this year’s draft, Bryce Young beat CJ Stroud to notch his first NFL win, in a 15-13 nailbiter. Eddy Pineiro drilled a field goal as time expired and celebrated appropriately. But all eyes were on Young, who finished 22 of 31 with 235 passing yards and a touchdown despite being under extreme pressure all game (he was sacked six times). After the game, Panthers head coach Frank Reich insisted “we got the right guy.” There are many teams that would be thrilled with either quarterback, as Stroud has been fantastic for most of the season.
• Jalen Ramsey sure knows how to make a debut. The star corner, playing his first game for Miami after recovering from a torn meniscus, baited Mac Jones and snagged the interception and returned it 49 yards.
Yeah. @jalenramsey did THAT. 😤 pic.twitter.com/bvppRqFbhK
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 29, 2023
Mike McDaniel (jokingly) was not impressed: “He totally disappointed me. He told me he was gonna come back and have a pick six, not a pick field goal.”
