Brock Purdy confirmed all the proper strikes Sunday towards the Cleveland Browns.
He dodged and scrambled away from stress, doing a pleasant pirouette when essential to keep away from sacks. He accurately learn an possibility play on the objective line and transformed it right into a 2-yard landing run. After which Purdy, a straight arrow if there ever was one, even broke out “The Dougie,” a hip-hop dance transfer that dates again to rapper Doug E. Contemporary within the Nineteen Eighties.
“God forbid a white guy has a little bit of motion,” tight finish George Kittle joked following the 49ers’ 26-8 highway win over the Cleveland Browns.
For one afternoon with temperatures within the 30s and wind approaching 40 miles per hour, turf toe was a distant reminiscence and the 49ers completed the final recreation earlier than their bye with a 9-4 file and 4 video games to play. So Purdy figured a celebration was so as.
“I’ve always been able to Dougie, but haven’t done it publicly,” Purdy stated. “My wife, she could tell you. I annoy her in the kitchen. That’s where I got my practice. I told the team, if we’re scoring, we’re going to have some fun and I’m going to hit the Dougie.”
Stated huge receiver Jauan Jennings to reporters: “Brock’s the man. He did it for us at practice and told us he was going to do it.”
Left deal with Trent Williams was preoccupied with getting in the way in which of defensive finish Myles Garrett and didn’t see the celebration.
“I did see it in practice, though,” Williams stated. “He was pretty vibed out.”
Underneath heightened scrutiny after throwing three interceptions in his earlier begin towards Carolina, Purdy’s dance strikes in addition to escapability offered an emphatic reply to extra than simply the situation of his toe.
Sure, Purdy can play in dangerous climate. He did it and not using a glove or any kind of insert to guard his toe. He had sufficient arm energy to drive the ball in horrible passing circumstances.
He wasn’t almost as anxious because the legions of doubters that multiply after a nasty recreation, solely to recede into the background when Purdy performs as he did Sunday. Pretty much as good as Mac Jones was in Purdy’s stead, when it comes to mobility he can be ill-equipped to thrive towards a Browns protection that was giving up an NFL-low 273.0 yards per recreation coming in.
The Browns are shaky on offense, however their protection is legit.
Brock Purdy (13) is knocked down by Cleveland defensive finish Myles Garrett. A.P. Picture
As for the climate, Purdy went to Iowa State. It’s not as if each recreation was performed in sunshine or a dome, though Purdy has had some clunkers in poor circumstances. A type of got here in Cleveland in 2023, when he was 12 for 27 and the 49ers misplaced 19-17 with the Browns beginning a quarterback named P.J. Walker.
Purdy’s statistics weren’t enormous. He was 16 of 29 or 168 yards and a 7-yard landing strike to Jauan Jennings. Not less than seven completions have been smart throwaways when receivers have been lined or the Garrett-led Cleveland protection had him on the run — which was typically.
Garrett received him as soon as, beating Williams cleanly or his NFL-best nineteenth sack. On one other, one spin transfer left Purdy face-to-face with Garrett — and Purdy nonetheless managed to throw the ball away.
“I rolled out and he was right there,” Purdy stated. “I was like, ‘Oh, man,’ and threw the ball away. He’s like, ‘C’mon, bro,’ and he smiled at me. And I’m like, ‘Sorry.’ . . . he’s really cool, but he’s a monster, so you’ve got to be smart in certain situations.”
The place Purdy was dominant was on third down. He accomplished 7 of 10 passes on the cash down for 72 yards and 7 first downs. The 49ers have been 11 of 17 on third downs general. His 2-yard landing run was on third-and-goal on the 2. His landing go to Jennings was third-and-goal on the 7.
“When we got here there was snow all over, then yesterday it was snowing late at night,” Purdy stated. “So I woke up this morning and I was like, ‘It is what it is.’ We’ve got to find a way to win. It doesn’t matter how or what, just play within our offense, let our defense and special teams do its thing and be smart. It doesn’t matter what it looks like.”
The 49ers performed one in all their most complementary video games of the season, with particular groups arising enormous on a 66-yard punt return by Skyy Moore to arrange the primary landing and a fumble restoration by Darrell Luter Jr. on Thomas Morstead’s punt to arrange one other. They gained solely 252 yards and averaged 3.9 yards per snap towards one of many extra legit defenses they’ll face the remainder of the season.
Purdy helped present a giant momentum increase with a 33-yard strike to Kittle instantly into the wind with 15 seconds to play that arrange a 25-yard discipline objective by Matt Homosexual, with the ball hitting the upright and clanging by means of for 3 factors and a 10-8 halftime lead.
“We call it a Spartan and it’s basically just like a box fade, wide and go,” Kittle stated. “I was happy he gave me the (opportunity) on it. Brock threw that into some hard wind. If there was no wind, I think that was a really easy touchdown.”
Cleveland had taken an 8-7 lead on its earlier possession on a 34-yard go from Shedeur Sanders to tight finish Harold Fannin Jr., with 39 seconds left within the half as linebacker Luke Gifford fell down in protection.
“Throwing that go route into the wind like that is a big-time play and a huge catch by George,” Shanahan stated.
Purdy accurately straddled the road on the play between being protected and taking a shot.
“We needed some momentum, and obviously we’re trying to be smart,” Purdy stated. “I’ve got to be aggressive and go with our matchup when we get it. Even if it’s windy, you’ve got to make it happen at some point. I feel like that drive really got us going, got our confidence going, and it bled into the second half for sure.”
Now the 49ers get a much-needed break, and Purdy’s toe will get one other week to heal earlier than a four-game stretch that begins at Levi’s Stadium towards Tennessee (1-11) earlier than three brutal last video games towards Indianapolis (8-4) on the highway and towards Chicago (9-3) and Seattle (9-3) at dwelling.
Not that Purdy appeared restricted in any manner on Sunday. He adroitly ran the offense, stayed away from turnovers, managed the sport successfully and transformed third downs. He saved the flash for “The Dougie”.
