Brock Purdy Continues to Pass Every Test put in Front of Him

Every challenge that has been thrown at Brock Purdy is met with an unwavering fierce mentality. It was proven again in the 49ers Wild Card playoff win over the Seahawks.

Brock Purdy has been able to pass every test put in front of him with flying colors.

Whether it was playing well on the road in primetime with the division title on the line, or managing a comeback win that went into overtime on the road. Purdy has been brilliant since taking over as the starter for the 49ers.

Still, plenty of tests remain ahead of Purdy with the playoffs being the next and most crucial one. Pressure in the playoffs can make even the best players crumble, so Purdy was going to reveal a lot about himself in the Wild Card playoff matchup against the Seahawks. Was he going to crack and play poorly for the first time, or would he brush off the pressure like he has plenty of times before and play excellently?

Things looked ugly for Purdy in the first half. He played like a true rookie for the first time since becoming the starter. A handful of throws were inaccurate, he struggled to find plenty of open receivers, and bailed out of clean pockets early. Purdy looked like a guy who was struggling under the pressure of the playoffs. You had to wonder if he was just going to be another Jimmy Garoppolo in the postseason.

But he didn't let that phase him for the whole game. Purdy came out of the second half with the headstrong poise that the 49ers are used to seeing from him. Because of that, the 49ers were able to win convincingly in the end 41-23. Yet another passing grade and accomplishment for the "Mr. Irrelevant" 2022 draft pick.

Purdy continues to pass every test put in front of him.

This was a playoff game that had immense pressure, and it ended up having some adversity in it. The 49ers were not dominating the game until the fourth quarter and Purdy was not comfortable at all. He was missing throws, struggling to find the open receiver on multiple accounts, and bailing out of the pocket when it was clean. Being able to settle down and find a rhythm in this game looked like a stretch for Purdy.

But that is exactly what he did. Halftime came at the perfect time for him and the 49ers. He was able to reset, assess, and lock it in to get back to the player he has put on display since stepping in against Miami. Purdy answered the call in this game. He has proven to everyone that the playoffs aren't too much for him and that he can bounce back from a poor half. Not to mention that he was playing in a game with off and on rain, so he was battling out there.

"There was some emotion going into the game," said Purdy. "You could just feel it in the environment with the fans and our teammates like, man, this is win or go home. And so, you did feel that I feel like pre-game and whatnot, but once the game started, it was all, hey, it's 11-on-11, I’ve got to do my job. I’ve got to get it to the guys when they're in space and go from there. But we didn't make it more than what it was."

All of the things that Purdy brings to the table that elevates the 49ers offense, it is his mentality and toughness that makes him brilliant. The guy just doesn't fold. He doesn't think or act like a rookie. Purdy approaches and shows up to the game like a fearless warrior. That is why his teammates rave about him so vividly. His energy and mindset are real, and his teammates can feel that.

"He's been in the biggest of moments regardless of playoffs or not," said Fred Warner. "When you get thrown into the Dolphins game who are as hot as they come and Jimmy [Garoppolo] goes down, we're all looking around and Brock Purdy's the one who gets his number called and he goes and helps you win a football game. Those are the big moments that prepare you for moments like this and he showed us over and over again who he is and the type of player he is. So not surprised.” 

Anything and everything that has been thrown in Purdy's way is being met with a fierce mentality, one that will not break him or make him waver. Plenty of teams have tried, the moment of the games have tried, and even he himself has tried from his poor start. It doesn't matter. He continues to pass every test with flying colors.

At this point, betting against Purdy is extremely foolish.