If the Seahawks are going to upset the visiting 49ers on Thursday night, their best chance to do so will be getting second-year quarterback Brock Purdy off his game. San Francisco is about as loaded as any NFL team at the skill positions, and if nothing else Purdy has done a good job of getting the ball to those playmakers and letting them do their thing.
Here’s Seattle safety Julian Love talking about what Purdy does well at Tuesday’s press conference.
Julian Love on Brock Purdy playing at a high level. #Seahawks @CascadiasportsN pic.twitter.com/gkcm8lLo9w
— MazvitaMaraire (@MazvitaMaraire) November 21, 2023
Then again, this is sort-of damning with faint praise. Purdy runs Kyle Shanahan’s system as well as anyone has since Matt Ryan in his MVP year in Atlanta, but he’s benefitted from that scheme – to say nothing of having the likes of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey to target.
Purdy’s numbers are admittedly outstanding, but they’re artificially boosted by those skill players as well as Shanahan’s playcalling, which gives Purdy the advantage of throwing to wide open receivers at a rate far higher than any other starting QB in the NFL.
Weaknesses include a relative lack of size, athleticism and arm strength. Purdy’s passes can be tipped at the line of scrimmage by a busy iDL unit and he’ll miss an inordinate number of layup throws. Getting pressure on Purdy and forcing him to prove himself on third and longs will be critical if the Seahawks are going to have any chance to win this.
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