Jordan Love and Brock Purdy are two hot topics in the league when it comes to young and high-potential quarterbacks. Where one QB gave Wisconsin a glimpse of greatness, the other is the new hope for the people in the Bay Area. However, there seems to exist a fierce contest between the fan bases of the two QBs, which David Lombardi silenced with his data-driven response.
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Lombardi, who is the 49ers journalist for The Athletic, pulled out two graphs that suggested there was no room for debate between the two aforementioned QBs. He was clear in his stance to back Brock Purdy as the superior signal caller.
One of the metrics that Lombardi used to compare the two QBs was a graph of ‘Quarterback Efficiency and Pass Protection.’ The diagram clearly illustrated how Brock Purdy was far more efficient than any other QB in the league in 2023, despite a below-par rating at pass protection.
Further explaining the chart, Lombardi expressed how Purdy, despite possessing skilled weapons, had inferior pass protection when compared to the Packers’ QB. Pass protection is certainly an important metric to judge since it directly correlates with the quarterback’s instinctive decision-making during games.
Despite the metric, Purdy was able to evade more sacks than Love, who were sacked 28 and 30 times, respectively. And Lombardi claimed it as a skill of the Niners QB.
Brock Purdy Meets the MVP Standards for David Lombardi
David Lombardi was certainly flattered by the output of Brock Purdy, even though he had limited input. While acknowledging the fact that the 49ers were stacked with skill position players, Lombardi stressed how important pass protection is for the QB and commended Purdy for pulling such numbers under pressure.
That said, Lombardi pulled a second graph that measured the efficiency of the quarterbacks, and Brock Purdy was certainly a standout print on that chart. Upon examining it, the Niners reporter stated that Purdy certainly pulled an MVP-worthy performance in 2023.
David Lombardi further enunciated how being a high-round pick doesn’t necessarily translate into being a good QB; one needs to prove it on the field instead, which Brock Purdy has done twice.
Purdy has not only been a consistent regular-season player, but he has also been an exceptional playoff QB. Whereas Jordan Love has too led his team to a successful season despite losing a few star players to the Jets in the 2023 offseason. As the league awaits the new schedule for the 2024 season, it will be exciting to see the two juggernauts in a fixture.
