Brock Purdy and the 49ers appeared thoroughly overmatched in a matchup touted as a potential Super Bowl LVIII preview. They succumbed to a 33-19 defeat in front of their home crowd at Levi’s Stadium. Purdy’s performance was notably disheartening, as he registered a career-high four interceptions without any touchdowns, concluding with 255 yards on 18-of-32 passing. Moreover, this lackluster showing saw him equal an unfortunate record which was previously held by Colin Kaepernick.
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The dubious record for the most intercepted passes in a game for the San Francisco franchise belonged to Colin Kaepernick before this year’s Christmas Day clash with the Ravens. He threw four interceptions against the Cardinals on September 27, 2015. Fast forward eight years, Brock replicated this feat tossing four interceptions.
Subsequently, he was sidelined in the fourth quarter with a stinger, making way for Sam Darnold. Darnold too faced challenges, culminating in the team’s fifth interception at the goal line during the final possession, putting an exclamation mark on the defeat.
A fan expressed disbelief, tweeting, “Wow…4 Interceptions in one game by Purdy…that’s Colin Kaepernick bad..Cap threw 4 Interceptions in 2015 and for 8 years, no other 49er did that, but Christmas game changed everything for poor Purdy,” drawing a comparison between Brock’s challenging performance and Colin Kaepernick’s past struggles.
It’s crucial to keep perspective despite the setback. Purdy was a leading MVP candidate before Christmas Day and now sits in the 3rd spot. Furthermore, criticizing a quarterback in the top 3 for the MVP race may warrant revisiting his overall performance and statistics.
Brock Purdy’s rise from the last pick in the 2022 draft to MVP consideration this season is monumental. Without a doubt!
He dominates passing statistics as the starting quarterback for one of the NFL’s best teams. In any typical year, these credentials would be enough to secure the MVP accolade. However, the San Francisco quarterback could still aim to reclaim the coveted award with two regular-season games in hand.
Brock Purdy’ MVP Hopes Take a Severe Hit After a Dismal Game
Brock Purdy experienced the worst start of his career, leaving in the fourth quarter with a left shoulder stinger. He contemplated his decisions reflecting on the game against the Ravens and plans to bounce back for an upcoming game against the Washington Commanders. The young quarterback acknowledges the challenges of the NFL but focuses on team goals and self-improvement for the remaining two regular-season games and the playoffs.
“I have to look myself in the mirror and ask myself why or how that happened and why I made those decisions. Our team came ready to play and for me to make some decisions like that, it pains me. It’s not fair to these guys. I have to realize that and understand that, and I have to get better for my team.” Brock said, per post-game interview posted by David Lombardi.
Brock Purdy’s disappointment was evident in his postgame interview which was likely fueled by social media backlash. However, he wasn’t the sole issue for the 49ers, the league’s supposed most complete team. They faced dominance in all facets against the Ravens.
The offense struggled, repeatedly turning over the ball, and managed only two scoring drives. Sam Darnold’s late touchdown came when San Francisco was already trailing by 21 points. The defeat revealed challenges beyond Purdy’s performance.
