49ers QB Brock Purdy reflects four-interception fiasco vs. Ravens
Quarterback Brock Purdy says repeated nerve-stingers to his left shoulder won’t hinder him from playing in the 49ers’ game Sunday at the Washington Commanders.
As for his mental state, he’s found learning experiences in the career-high four interceptions he threw in Monday night’s 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Here are the quick, rough-draft quotes from Purdy’s media availability Thursday:
On his shoulder after nerve stingers shot pain and numbed his left arm:
“It’s been good,” Purdy said. “I got a lot of treatment done on it. I worked out soreness in the whole shoulder and trap area. But it feels good. So, I’ll be good for this game.”
On the risk of repeated stingers, having experienced his first the previous game at Arizona:
“No one really said anything to me,” Purdy said. ”I didn’t know it was a thing until I got it against Ravens again. It got explained that guess the nerve is more susceptible to stinging again. But with treatment, time and recovery, I’ll be good to go. Everyone is different. I was fine the whole game, then that one sack, I landed on it just right for it to go off. But my feeling came back. It’s just part of the game.”
On film review:
“I feel our game plan was good, in terms of what we wanted to get done,” Purdy said. “It was the execution part where I didn’t do a good enough job. Our mindset going into it was good. I fell short in terms of making it happen. Watching film, there were plays to be made. We felt good. We were right there and had things dialed up pretty good. I just didn’t execute well.
“If we see them again down the road, obviously we’d be excited to play them, but we’re taking it one day at a time.”
On the first drive (that went 74 yards on four plays before Purdy’s pass was intercepted in the end zone):
“We had two really explosive plays, the third down and the next one after that to George (Kittle) again,” Purdy said. “The emotion, everything being built up and feeling good, then we called this play with what wasn’t the right coverage. For myself, it’s like, ‘Alright, dude, progress and check it down.’ In the moment, I was aggressive, ‘Alright, we just had two big plays and let’s try to put this one in.’ Looking back, that wasn’t the right decision or a smart play as a quarterback. I have to grow from that. Every play has a life of its own. Whatever play is next, you have to play the play the right way and not just feed off the emotion you felt from the previous plays. That’s something I had to learn the hard way.”
On aggressiveness:
“The games I’ve played in, there’s a fine line of ripping something that’s tight-window or tight-contested, but at the same time, it’s about being smart with the ball in the situation of where the game is at,” Purdy said. “I’ve played in enough games where I understand when and where I can be aggressive and take a chance, take a shot; and when I should progress, check it down, throw it away. It’s a situational thing. Football is a game of situation. It’s where I have to grow and bank on experiences that I’ve gone through.
“At the same time, being a quarterback in the NFL, you have to take chances and risks into windows at the right time, and that’s what I’m learning right now.”
On this week’s preparation:
“My process and routine is going to be the same, like I’ve done all year,” Purdy said. ”It just comes down to the moment, getting behind center, going through my reads, in the heat of battle, being smart with the ball, doing what we’re trying to do on offense and what the coaches ask of me. Obviously it’s to be smart. In terms of my process, I’ll be the same guy I was all year, in terms of getting ready for the game. It’s about heat of the battle, making the right decisions and setting up our offense to have success in the right way.”
On learning experience, if everything could go wrong did go wrong:
“It’s huge for me,” Purdy said. “The whole season, right, it was building up to what they’re saying is a huge game on Christmas and on ‘Monday Night Football’, and it was a big game. For me, it’s a great learning experience, in terms of not buying into what’s going on around and what’s being said. Instead, it’s about executing in the moment, making the right decisions, protecting the ball. It was such a good learning experience. That’s not to say I’m going to be perfect moving forward. It’s football, man, you’re not perfect.
“But, for me, it’s huge, for being a quarterback in this league, if things are going well, people can say great things and it’s easy to buy into it. You need to have put your head down, go to work, have that chip on your shoulder still, and still prove to yourself that you have to show to you teammates you’re the guy week in and week out.”
On Washington’s defense:
“It’s starts with the guys up front, Nos. 93 and 94,” Purdy said. “They’re very disruptive, and have been their whole careers, so we respect them a lot. The boys in the secondary are sound in what they do. It’s about being smart with the ball, being on the right side of the field with our reads, and going through our progressions and being efficient. … We can’t get greedy or anything. I have to go through my reads and stay disciplined.”
On how he flushes bad moments:
“The game and the situation sort of happened really quick,” Purdy said. ”They went up quick. In the second half and third quarter, they’re up multiple scores, and it feels like we have to make a play. At the same time, we have all these turnovers, so don’t turn the ball over. Mentally it was a good experience to understand that you have to play it one play at a time. Even if we’re doing multiple scores, we still have the whole second half to play, you have to think clearly in terms of what we’re doing each play, and not try to get back into the game with one or two plays with explosives. It’s just being smart, taking the 5-yard out route, or taking the checkdown, getting the first down, and managing those situations to get your team back in the lead by being an efficient quarterback.
“Those are things I had to learn. Toward the end, I was searching for big plays to get back into the game, rather than playing the position. Watching the film was tough. But it was good for me. I had to learn, and I’m glad it happened now.”
On teammates’ support:
“It’s huge to hear guys had my back and all that,” Purdy said. “We understand the big picture of what we’re trying to do, where we’re at. To have a bad game like that sucks, and you don’t’ want that to ever happen. They’re mature and they get it. I appreciate them for understanding the quarterback position and how tough it can be, but also the reality of where we’re at: We’re still the No. 1 seed and got here for a reason, not just by chance.To hear them say cool things means a lo to me.
“We’re trying to win this week, take it one day at a time, and we’ll get to where we need to be by being in the present.”
On mentality:
“It’s not being in the right state of mind as a quarterback, having the aggressive trigger to make the throw and big play, but also, shoot you don’t want to turn the ball over again,” Purdy said. “It’s a sucky state of mind to be in. But that’s the learning experience of going back, taking it and saying every play has a life of its own, and not try to win the game with a couple of big plays. When I’m thinking like that, I just wasn’t in the right state of mind, toward the end when we’re trying to get back into it. That’s the learning experience.”
Other notes
Safety help: Rookie Ji’Ayir Brown’s knee sprain could prompt the 49ers to start their third safety next to Tashaun Gipson Sr. this season. Logan Ryan, an 11th-year veteran who signed three weeks ago, has shown the communication traits in practice to impress defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and linebacker Fred Warner. “He understands the magnitude of where we are this time of year,” Wilks said of Ryan, a two-time Super Bowl-winner with the New England Patriots. Another option is moving Isaiah Oliver from nickel back to safety, and the 49ers have practiced that transition over the past few weeks. All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga was lost to a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 19, triggering Brown’s insertion into the lineup.
Cornerback contingencies: Rookie Darrell Luter Jr. played only four snaps Monday night, but he has “gotten a lot of trust from me if he needs to go in and execute,” said Wilks, praising Luter’s maturity and pointing out his hustle to prevent a touchdown on a kickoff return at Seattle last month. Jason Verrett played only five snaps Monday night, but the 49ers debuted him at nickel back after halftime as a “chance to get his feet wet and get in the flow of things to see if can be guy who can help us down the stretch,” Wilks said. Verrett allowed a touchdown on his third snap, which Wilks said occurred because Verrett did not stay “chest to chest” with wide receiver Nelson Agholor and lost track just enough to allow the 6-yard scoring catch for a 23-12 deficit.
