LANDOVER, Md. — After a tough Christmas night, a short week and a long flight, it would have been understandable if San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t easily bounce back on Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
All week leading up to the game, the Niners and Purdy insisted there would be no lingering effects from his four-interception outing against the Baltimore Ravens, that he would return to his previous, efficient form.
They were right.
“There didn’t need to be a drastic change or anything,” Purdy said. “I needed to be smart with the ball and execute better. Simple as that, but being present, taking it one day at a time.”
While he didn’t have his gaudiest numbers of the year, Purdy was 22-of-28 for 230 yards and two touchdown passes with no interceptions in a 27-10 victory. In the process, Purdy etched his name at the top of San Francisco’s record books. He is up to 4,280 passing yards this season, surpassing the previous franchise high set by Jeff Garcia in 2000.
No need for a double take, it’s now Purdy — not Garcia, Joe Montana or Steve Young — who has the most productive passing season in Niners history.
“We’ve had a lot of really good quarterbacks in this organization,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “And just being told in there that he broke the record for all-time yards in a year, that’s a pretty big accomplishment by him and everyone else in there. So, it’s cool to do that.”
Purdy’s ascent to the top of the 49ers and NFL record books in single-season passing stats isn’t limited to yardage. His two passing touchdowns gave him 31 on the season, making him the first 49ers quarterback to hit the 30-plus mark since Garcia tossed 32 in 2001. Purdy is the fifth quarterback in franchise history to hit the 30-plus mark in a season, and his 31 are tied for fourth in a season in franchise history.
Sunday’s win was also Purdy’s eighth game this season with a passer rating of 120 or higher (it was 124.7 against the Commanders). That is tied for the second-most in a season in NFL history and gives him 14 games in his first two seasons with a rating of 110 or higher, tied with Russell Wilson for the most in a passer’s first two seasons in NFL history.
All of which drives home the point Shanahan repeatedly made after last Monday’s loss, which is that Purdy’s struggles against the Ravens were the outlier in an otherwise excellent second season for the former Mr. Irrelevant.
“I tried to tell you guys sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way,” tight end George Kittle said. “But most of the time the way that Brock plays and how consistent he is, and the plays that he makes with his legs … it’s crazy. He’s a phenomenal football player and he’s just going to keep playing like that for us. It’s awesome.”
With the running game revved up Sunday, Purdy didn’t have to do a whole lot against a struggling, injury-depleted Washington secondary. But he rose to the occasion when asked.
As he has all season, Purdy excelled pushing the ball down the field, completing all five of his attempts traveling 15-plus air yards for 112 yards and a touchdown. That scoring pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk was a highlight-reel toss made during a scramble drill after Purdy evaded pressure, rolled to his right, pointed Aiyuk to free space and fired a strike to the end zone.
It’s the type of play Purdy and Aiyuk have made happen multiple times this year and a clear sign that Purdy had moved past what happened on Monday night.
“He had some struggles last week,” Aiyuk said. “He didn’t play the way he wanted to but that’s just a testament to the person he is, the football player he is. Able to come out here and still throw the football around … he’s not shying away from it. He’s coming out here and continuing to play the brand of football that he knows how to play and that he will continue to play because he’s a special, special, special player.”
With the NFC’s top seed wrapped up and next week’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams carrying no postseason implications, it’s unclear whether Purdy will play or how much he will if he does. Which means if Purdy was going to make some team history, he had to do it Sunday.
Like he has in almost every other situation in his young career, Purdy delivered again at FedEx Field.
“It’s an honor,” Purdy said. “To be able to come into an organization with a rich history that this place has and obviously to be able to break a record like that … I was just a little kid dreaming of playing in the NFL, and to be able to do something like that, it’s pretty cool.
“But I have to say, it’s a testament to the team that I have around me. The dudes that I get to throw the ball to, the guys on defense, special teams, our coaches, organization. Everything has been so good for me to come in and they’ve allowed me to have success and so it’s a testament to everybody around me and I’m very thankful.”