SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Brock Purdy’s attention is on the Eagles and their stout defense as he prepares for his biggest regular-season start as a pro, rather than the disappointment of his previous trip to Philadelphia, which resulted in a significant elbow injury.
Purdy and the 49ers visit Philadelphia for the first time since last season’s NFC title game, when Purdy’s injury on his first drive derailed San Francisco’s Super Bowl hopes and resulted in major surgery and an offseason of rehabilitation.
“Am I going to go in there and get all sentimental about, ‘Man, I’ve come a long way since,'” Purdy told reporters on Thursday. “It’s not quite like that. We have a goal in mind, and each week I strive to be the best version of myself. So, am I going to enter the game proclaiming my desire for vengeance and such? That is not the case. “I’m just going to go do my job.”
Whatever happens when the 49ers (8-3) visit the Eagles (10-1) on Sunday in a matchup of the teams vying for the top two NFC playoff seeds, it will not change the outcome of the bigger game played last January.
San Francisco entered the game on a 12-game winning streak, confident that Purdy and the offense could outperform the Philadelphia defense and carry the Niners to the Super Bowl.
On the first drive, Haason Reddick hit Purdy so hard that Purdy tore a ligament in his throwing elbow. Josh Johnson, the backup, came in and struggled before leaving with a concussion early in the third quarter.
The Niners were forced to play the majority of the second half with Purdy at quarterback and unable to throw the ball more than a few yards, resulting in a 31-7 victory for the Eagles.
“We felt good about our game plan and stuff,” said Purdy. “Obviously, things didn’t go our way in terms of keeping the quarterback healthy, so it’s difficult to say exactly what we were going to do and all that stuff.” But after Josh died, things changed and I had to be thrown back in there. You go into a game believing that whatever you do will be good. So I feel like we never really got to that. So I’m going to leave it at that.”
The 49ers enter this game playing at a higher offensive level than they did a year ago, thanks in large part to Purdy’s improvement.
Purdy was thrust into action as a rookie last December and helped San Francisco win his first seven starts before losing to Philadelphia.
This season, he is carrying an even heavier workload and enters this game leading the NFL in passer rating (112.3), completion rate (70.2%), and yards per attempt (9.4), owing to what he describes as a better understanding of the playbook and his role.
“I was still trying to find my way in the NFL and play consistent and prove to the guys that I can play,” he told ESPN. “Now it’s all about being consistent, every single drive, every game, and being able to handle all the factors that come with playing quarterback, the noises, keeping guys calm, cool, and collected, that kind of thing.” So, I feel like in that game, or at that time, I wasn’t that guy yet. That, I believe, is a distinction.”
Purdy may have to deal with more than just the Eagles’ tough defensive front, as rain is expected on Sunday.
Purdy had trouble gripping the ball in wet weather earlier this season at Cleveland and said he might use a glove on his throwing hand if the weather is bad enough.
“A wet ball makes it harder on everybody,” said coach Kyle Shanahan. “I’ve had some guys who struggle a lot in the rain. I’ve been through some situations with Brock, not only in games but also in practice, and I believe he’s as good as any quarterback I’ve had in the rain.”
NOTES: DT Arik Armstead (foot) missed his second practice in a row but said he will play on Sunday. RB Jordan Mason (hamstring) and WR Ray-Ray McCloud (ribs) were also absent, and G Spencer Burford (knee) was limited.
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