49ers QB Brock Purdy Explains Why He Struggles Against the Vikings

The Vikings have his number.

Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell talk after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

SANTA CLARA -- Brock Purdy has faced the Vikings twice in his career. In both games, he turned the ball over twice, led the 49ers to just 17 points and lost.

Which means the Vikings have his number.

On Thursday, Purdy was asked what makes the Vikings such a big challenge for him. Here's what he said courtesy of the 49ers p.r. department.

Q: After the game, you seemed to compliment Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme a little bit. What is the challenge of that? Is it that mentally, he speeds you up and then slows you down and you’ve got to find the soft spots in the zone, you’ve got to find the rushers, who's coming and how many? What's the challenge of that defense?

PURDY: "I just think he does a really good job of disguising some stuff and dropping guys out. He did a really good job with that. In that video, that's all I was trying to say was, just give him his credit. That was a good job that he did there. Nothing more than that. But like I said before in the last couple questions, that's what they've shown on tape and that's what they did in the game. They did do a good job with that, of making it look like one thing and then making it another. And their guys are all tied together really well and they just, it's a bend but don't break kind of defense. They did a great job for four quarters of doing that, and they didn't change it up from what we saw in film. They did it and they executed really well. That was the biggest difference."

ME: When you watched the film from last week, did you feel like you weren't deciphering what you were seeing as quickly as you normally do?

PURDY: "I would say so. There were a couple of plays where I dropped back and for me I just wasn't on top of my progressions and getting off certain reads and holding onto the ball a little bit in certain situations and plays. That's where I had to be better. It's football, you're not always going to be perfect. There's some plays like that, that are going to happen. But for me, I think it happened more than I wanted it to. And so, I had to learn from it and grow from it."