Brock Purdy excited to face Rams for the first time as 49ers QB1
Sep 15, 2023, 5:00 AM | Updated: 9:21 am
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Since being drafted by the 49ers in 2022, Brock Purdy has faced the Rams twice, but never saw the field. Now set to face them for a third time in his career, Purdy is ready for the challenge that awaits at the helm.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback is looking forward to his first time facing their divisional rival, a foe the Red & Gold have historically dominated. On the team for the last two wins over Los Angeles, Purdy hopes his previous experiences will guide him toward success this Sunday.
“Last year, the two games that we game planned for them and then not playing in either of them. Then here’s my third time doing it, so it feels like I have played against them, but I haven’t. So yeah, I’m excited to,” Brock Purdy told the media Thursday.
#49ers Brock Purdy will make his first start against the Rams in historical fashion 👀 pic.twitter.com/aWNr6IbTAy
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) September 14, 2023
The game plan for 2023 will feature similar components to last season. Sure, the Rams have seen a major roster shakeup, welcoming numerous undrafted players to their depth chart. But it’s the staples that remain, particularly defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who have Purdy and the 49ers fully engaged.
“Obviously you’ve got Aaron Donald. You’ve got the scheme that they’ve been doing for a while on defense and so really we’ve taken things that we’ve done in the past and what not. Building off those kinds of things,” Purdy explained. “And really for me it’s just going to be about going out there, seeing the defense, making sure we’re in the right play formation, all that kind of stuff. Keep it simple. Just play ball, play our ball.”
The second-year QB’s confidence comes from a variety of places, one of those being his time as the scout-team gunslinger.
Purdy spent most of last season as the second QB on the depth chart, playing backup to Jimmy Garoppolo. In turn, he was tasked with commanding the scout team and helping get the first-team defense ready for their upcoming opponents.
That work on the practice field helped Purdy grow last season, getting valuable reps against the best defense in the NFL. Eventually, when it was his time to take the field, he was ready for the moment.
“Oh yeah, it was huge,” Purdy stated. “Obviously, you guys see all the videos, like the no-look passes and looking off linebackers and stuff. Honestly, when you’re trying to replicate what an NFL starting quarterback does, and you try to do that at practice, you sort of pick up on some stuff and then you sort of learn things and honestly add stuff to your toolbox, I feel like.”
And as previously stated, playing against the league’s best defense each week doesn’t hurt either.
“And then obviously being able to, selflessly, sort of put your stuff aside and try to emulate the other team for [LB] Fred [Warner], [LB] Dre [Greenlaw], that’s what it was really about is giving those guys a real, legit look. And, so whenever last year when I was on the sideline seeing our defense kill it, I’m like, shoot, maybe I had a little part of helping them do that, have a great week and whatnot. So, it was huge for me and honestly, it made me better too,” Brock Purdy said.
Now the QB1, Purdy has more tools in his toolbox than ever before, putting it on display Week 1 in Pittsburgh.
Another example of 49ers Brock Purdy manipulating defenses with his eyes that leads to Aiyuk touchdown
Purdy sells PA, his entire body language shows he wants to go to Deebo and it moves the safety out of the zone which makes Aiyuk wide-open after he cooked Peterson pic.twitter.com/LHf1tpe1Kg
— Brad (@Graham_SFN) September 14, 2023
It isn’t all him though, surrounded by elite talent on both sides of the football. Despite those elite superstars on the roster, everyone has the same. goal in mind: Win at any cost.
That makes for an entire roster full of egoless teammates Purdy can rely on.
“Yeah, it’s rare. I think you have all this, stardom on a team and what not, and for everyone to just put the ego aside and be like, ‘Hey, we want to win. We want to win a Super Bowl and we’re going to do what it takes.’ And I think what we all know is what it takes is to put the ego aside. If I don’t get all these yards and catches and touchdowns for one game, but our other guy does, like, ‘Hey, I did my part to help win.’ And that’s what we all care about here,” Brock Purdy stated.
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