Brock Purdy made NFL quarterbacking look much easier than it is in the first six starts of his career. It took until Sunday night's 19-12 NFC divisional playoff win over the Cowboys for him put up poor passing numbers. But given the degree of difficulty vs. Dallas defense, the 49ers seventh-round rookie turned in his best performance yet despite his worst stats.
For the first time since taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy failed to throw multiple touchdown passes and rate above 90.0 in efficiency. What made his seventh start so great, however, was the fact he didn't tne ball over and outdueled Dak Prescott when presented with similar key moments.
It didn't feel that way early. The Cowboys looked to be in prime position to finally rattle Purdy, given the magnitude of the game plus the extra pressure they could apply on the field.
MORE: Breaking down the AFC & NFC championship game matchups
On the 49ers' second offensive play of the game, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa could have set the tone when he dropped Purdy for a 9-yard loss. Instead, Purdy, after facing more heat from end Demarcus Lawrence, shook off two first-quarter sacks and settled in.
Purdy (19-of-29 passing, 214 yards, zero TDs, 87.4 passer rating) still maintained a high completion percentage (65.5) and solid yards per attempt (7.4), not far off from what he did a half-dozen times before. Also as before, he made some confident, jaw-dropping throws and showed off his elusiveness.
The Cowboys excelled at containing top 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, but Purdy was able to turn to the one player he has been able to trust most for big plays in crucial situations: tight end George Kittle, who made the best downfield catch of the entire playoffs.
MORE: Will Brock Purdy start for 49ers in the 2023 season?
The reason Purdy doesn't look like a rookie is — wait for it — because he knows when to play like a rookie. Purdy has by no means been a "caretaker" or "game manager." He's aggressive in throwing downfield when favorable shots develop from fine pass protection and the 49ers' consistent success in the running game.
At the same time, Purdy has shown he can rein it in when needed and throw to a security blanket, either Kittle, Samuel or Aiyuk on intermediate routes or running back Christian McCaffrey on shorter routes.
Purdy also was careful Sunday to not force the ball into coverage, realizing he was involved in a gritty, physical, defensive-minded affair where ensuring that the offense at least got points on field goals was huge.
MORE: Cowboys baffle NFL world with final play call vs. 49ers that rivaled Colts' fake punt
The 49ers weren't as effective as usual in running the ball, and that put Purdy in more third-and-longs. He navigated those well, though, and the 49ers ended up converting at 50 percent (7 for 14), a big number against the Cowboys' defense.
Before Sunday, the 49ers had not seen Purdy battle much adversity on the field. They were rolling as an offensive machine with massive rushing efforts and chunk pass plays. They had to be more than pleased that when Purdy had to fight to find his comfort zone, he succeeded.
Purdy's pretty play was fun to watch when San Francisco was scoring and moving the ball at will, but much of that came against much lesser opponents with much weaker defenses than Dallas'. His grit, which emerged at the right time and was on full display Sunday, is what's needed to also beat Philadelphia in the NFC championship game.
