Brock Purdy explained why he missed a seemingly wide-open Brandon Aiyuk in the fourth quarter of the 49ers' 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
With 4:08 left in the fourth quarter and San Francisco leading 24-17, Purdy danced around the pocket, evading coverage and eventually finding Juan Jennings for a 5-yard reception. However, Aiyuk had blown through a busted Rams coverage and was wide open deep downfield for what could have been a game-sealing touchdown reception.
The San Francisco quarterback was asked about the missed opportunity on Thursday, with the 24-year-old explaining what he saw unfold during the play.
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“I'm going through my read,” Purdy said. “Obviously, there was a route that I thought he was going to run, but he felt grass and went and took it. And when we're watching it after, it's like, yes, that's the right thing to do in that moment. For me, I'm going through my read and progression, and I'm concerned about a safety, and then I see him go deep, and I feel like he's open, and I'm like something's not right in my mind per what we had drawn up.”
Purdy then explained that he and Aiyuk must communicate better in the future.
“That's something that we both have to be on the same page moving forward with,” Purdy told reporters. “If he has stuff like that, that happens, and it's not being dumb and just running deep every time, but actually there's a reason for why you're going deep.
“There's some communication stuff that we've talked about where we can take that opportunity. He did the right thing. I have to pull the trigger in that moment and be ready for it. Something that we had to learn. In the heat of the moment, that time of the game, situational football, I'm trying to protect the ball, be smart with it but also be aggressive. And then that happens, and it's like I don't know exactly where the safety's at. So, all of those put together, that's what happened in the moment.”
San Francisco 49ers
The missed touchdown opportunity loomed large as the Rams completed the comeback to shock the 49ers in another chapter of the storied rivalry between the two franchises. While Purdy had an almost mistake-free game, completing 22 of 30 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, a few missed opportunities and dropped passes were all it took to tilt the outcome in favor of Los Angeles.
As San Francisco continues to deal with a rash of injuries to its offensive superstars, the communication between Aiyuk and Purdy will be important moving forward. With the 49ers slated to face some of the best teams in the NFL over the next few weeks, the team can ill-afford any more missed opportunities to put points on the board.
With George Kittle and Deebo Samuel potentially returning as the 49ers welcome the New England Patriots to town this Sunday at Levi's Stadium, Purdy will have another chance to work on his communication and improvisation skills.