Why Brock Purdy Won't Crumble Under the Playoff Pressure
Brock Purdy has been wheeling and dealing for the 49ers ever since Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury against the Dolphins. He's been one of the crazier stories in the last two months in the NFL and has not faltered even a bit.
However, that could start to change with the playoffs in full swing. There is always a different atmosphere, a different type of pressure that is felt in the playoffs. Plenty of players better than Purdy have gone into the playoffs and folded. The fact that he is a rookie going into the playoffs for the first time puts him under a microscope. Faltering seems like it is almost expected out of him. But I say that is nonsense.
Purdy won't crumble under the playoff pressure.
The doubt against Purdy for no playoff experience is the exact same argument used against the 49ers in 2019. They were viewed as a team who will be exposed because they were entering uncharted territory with players who had little to no playoff experience. But what gets lost upon that argument are the plethora of games that the 2019 49ers played in had its own hefty pressure.
When Purdy stepped into the Miami game, that was a matchup that had a playoff environment. In fact, every game that Purdy has played in has been a weighted game. Even the regular season finale against Arizona had pressure with playoff seeding on the line. Purdy has been tested on multiple accounts already. His two biggest tests came on a short week on the road in Seattle to clinch the division, while the other was facing adversity on the road against the Raiders.
Those games gave Purdy that playoff intensity that could've caused him to fold. Instead, he faced that pressure head on like nothing as he has been doing since he took over. There is zero reason to bet against him with how tough and fearless of a mentality he has.
"I'm not trying to make it bigger than what it is," said Purdy. "Obviously, there's more on the line and everything, but I think having six games under my belt in terms of just playing in an NFL game and trying to win for four quarters has helped me get to this point. And all the guys in the locker room have my back. We've all grown together, so we're ready for what's ahead.”
Now, Purdy might have some bad moments against Seattle and beyond. But the 49ers have managed to succeed in the playoffs with Garoppolo who almost gives games away. The bar for him isn't set high at all even if he does falter or stumble to an extent. Luckily for him, he is getting to face a familiar team who he's performed well against at home. Seattle will act as a great stepping stone for the 49ers' playoff push.
Another thing to consider here is that Geno Smith is also capable of crumbling under playoff pressure. This is his first career start in the playoffs and he is doing so against a better team on the road. Yes, he has experience being in the league for all these years, but the playoffs making him crack is still on the table. So while the microscope is all on Purdy because he is a rookie, the same can easily be said for Smith. At least Purdy is at home surrounded with an array of talent. What really will slow Purdy down is the rain, which is forecasted to downpour.
Betting against Purdy at this point is simply unwise. He won't crack under the pressure of the playoffs nor will he be too giddy being in the playoffs. That is something he will save for the end with the hope that it will come with the Lombardi trophy being hoisted.
“I feel like I'll do a lot of reflecting after the season. Right now, I'm looking at it like, man, we got the Seahawks. Yes, it's playoffs, but for myself it's, I have to do my job. I'm not trying to think about this storybook ending or anything like that. It's, man, I have a great defense I have to play on Sunday, I have to do my job in terms of getting the guys the ball and all that will fall into place, but definitely thankful for everything that has happened.
"We still have a ways to go."
