When the San Francisco 49ers get set to take on their classic playoff rival in the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, they’ll probably have the edge at most positions. Heck, I wouldn’t dare forget — Kyle Shanahan is a massive advantage at head coach over Dallas’ Mike McCarthy, too.
But one spot the Cowboys should be able to count on as a trump card for a potential upset in the Bay Area is the most important position in football: quarterback.
While he’s fresh off a historic first playoff start last weekend, the 49ers’ Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant and the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft for a good reason. But he essentially gets to thrive because he’s got the best play-caller/play-designer in football Kyle Shanahan holding his hand. Purdy also throws the ball to YAC monsters Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, ensuring he seldom has to make a “tight-window” pass.
On the other side of the proceedings is Dak Prescott — a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the most productive NFL quarterbacks of the last decade. While Prescott does have solid talent around him, like good teammate CeeDee Lamb, his team situation isn’t remotely comparable to the cushiness of Purdy’s. Not to mention Prescott is regularly (and justifiably) considered a top-10 QB by pundits and fans. (Oh, and he’s literally coming off a masterful playoff performance.)
In a recent episode of NFL Total Access, this background didn’t phase ex-NFL players Thomas Davis and Michael Robinson. In diagramming a tale of the tape between Purdy and Prescott before Sunday night’s titanic divisional round matchup, the veterans gave a noteworthy (cringeworthy?) edge to the former Mr. Irrelevant in traits like poise in the pocket and accuracy. Those are, uh, two of Prescott’s truly elite qualities. Guys, is everything OK?
A screenshot of this absurd QB analysis — from two experienced football men that should probably know a lot better — rightfully went viral on Twitter:
We live in a society. pic.twitter.com/BZQZVcIfZc
— Jakob Sanderson (@JakobSanderson) January 19, 2023
I gotta be honest. Every time I even look at this image again, my blood boils. At this point, it’s abundantly clear to me that we are flat-out incapable of having rational, thoughtful discussions about quarterback play as a football-obsessed culture. I’ve seen enough to make this conclusion over the years, and it’s not only about Purdy, but it remains endlessly frustrating. (Take Justin Fields’ situation in Chicago, for example.)
Has Purdy been admirable in filling in for Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers try to make a Super Bowl run? Absolutely! Does that justify giving him undue praise over one of the far more established top quarterbacks in the sport? Absolutely… not.
I dream of a sports world where we don’t have to hyperbolize every new quarterbacking sensation as the Next Big Thing before their feet even get wet. But something tells me I shouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that reality. At the very least, this note comforts me: Prescott can vouch for himself with a lights-out road performance against a bona fide juggernaut.