The 49ers’ ugly Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns was a learning experience for everyone involved and perhaps none more so than quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 23-year-old had the worst game of his young NFL career, completing 12 of 27 pass attempts for 125 yards and a touchdown while throwing his first interception of the season and posting an abysmal 55.3 passer rating.
Purdy joined Rich Eisen on the latest episode of “The Rich Eisen Show,” where he was asked to share his biggest takeaway from the game. Purdy felt he wasn’t good enough as a leader in the face of adversity.
“I would just say the operation, our offense is complex,” Purdy said. “Just making sure a few of our key players like Deebo are out.” [Samuel] and Christian [McCaffrey]Being able to help guys that show up in the huddle that maybe haven’t gotten the reps they need in practice to be ready for play calls and things like that.
“This is something I take upon myself. Ray Ray [McCloud] coming in, Elijah Mitchell, JP Mason supporting Christian and Deebo. I feel like I could have helped them better with where to line up, what plays to make, things like that. I need to get better at this in the future.
Even though Purdy is in his second season and still learning the intricacies of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, he is taking it upon himself as a quarterback and leader to teach and instill confidence in other young players.
“As a quarterback in general, you know? For us to get on point offensively and be able to move, I just feel like there are times where we break the scrum. I can say, ‘Hey, you’re over here.’ Just remind them, little reminders,” Purdy explained. “Especially on the street where the environment is crazy and it’s hard to hear sometimes, but just being prepared for moments like that I feel can help them get going and build their confidence. For some reason I feel like I’m taking this upon myself.”
All three, Samuel, McCaffrey and left tackle Trent Williams, are dealing with injuries and their status for San Francisco’s “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Minnesota Vikings is uncertain.
If one or more of the 49ers’ stars are unable to play, Purdy will try to act as a leader and ensure the replacements are prepared for success.
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