Brock Purdy hasn’t been sacked nearly a month into the NFL season, and get this: he’s the ONLY starting quarterback who can claim that. The dude is absolutely tearing it up for the 49ers, making it feel like 2023 all over again as they shred defenses and Purdy leads the league in passing efficiency. After carving up the Cardinals in a 36-30 win, he’s shot right into the MVP conversation.
The O-Line Is Playing 7-on-7 Football for Purdy
So, how’s he doing it? You might think it’s all Purdy magic, but let’s be real, his offensive line is playing out of its mind. Next Gen Stats show he’s pressured on a league-low 22% of his dropbacks. Seriously, 22%! He’s only faced nine quick pressures, which is tied for the fewest in the entire NFL with Kirk Cousins. To put that in perspective, Jordan Love saw nine quick pressures against Atlanta in just the second half of their game! Purdy’s average time-to-throw is a top-five figure at 2.91 seconds, but the real kicker is his hurry probability. Over the last two weeks, his hurry probability three seconds into a dropback is just 15.8% compared to the league average of 33.2%. Quarterbacks are literally twice as likely to get pressured after three seconds than Purdy. The guy’s basically playing 7-on-7 out there, and what a dream environment that is!
Purdy’s Pocket Presence Is Still Making Plays
But don’t get it twisted, Purdy isn’t just a beneficiary of a stellar O-line; he’s pulling his weight too. He’s handled the few quick pressures thrown his way with serious confidence. Take out two screen passes, and he’s completed four passes while facing quick pressure, and these weren’t just simple dumps. Remember that jump throw from a completely collapsed pocket against the Rams? Or the time he spun out of an unblocked pressure against the Dolphins, flipped his hips, and found Mike Evans along the sideline for a completion? Oh, and there was the play where he stepped up into space and hit DeMarcus Robinson on a crosser. Even the slightly lucky one, where he overthrew his target but Evans saved the day, showed him doing everything right to avoid a sack. This “zero sack” stat? It’s a perfect storm of an incredible offensive line, a brilliant play-caller who neutralizes the pass rush, and Purdy himself making big-time plays under duress.
The kid is rolling, and he’s doing it in an environment other QBs can only dream of. The question is, how long can this perfect storm keep Brock Purdy clean and in the MVP race? We’re nearly a month in, and so far, it’s nothing short of spectacular.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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