In the latest chapter in the ongoing saga over Brock Purdy’s playing ability, one of the best analysts in football has come to the young quarterback’s defense.
In speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s 49ers insider Matt Maiocco at Radio Row in Las Vegas, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell explained what makes Purdy such a good quarterback and why the game manager discourse surrounding the 49ers' signal-caller is ridiculous.
When asked about how Purdy diagnoses and responds to defensive alignments, Cosell pointed out that the second-year QB has made some mistakes during the playoffs but still possesses the ability to go off-script.
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"In fact, one of his runs against the Lions, he should have thrown the ball to Jauan Jennings, and he didn’t, and Jennings was wide open,” Cosell told Maiocco. “He looked right at him and then he ran for 12 yards and of course, it was a great play, but he has not been quite as, as sharp in that regard as he's been throughout his career. He's going to have to get back to that.
“But, you know, Purdy, the thing about Purdy and we saw this in the game against the Lions, the NFC championship, is he does make plays beyond the Xs and Os. He does make off script plays.”
Maiocco humorously retorted that Cosell should not say such things because it implies that Purdy is not some meager game manager or system quarterback if he’s able to make such off-script plays, leading Cosell to dismiss the negative talk around the 49ers quarterback.
“Yeah, we won't get into that Matt, because the ridiculous nature of that discussion, it's mind boggling to me and, and it's been talked about as if it's a true conversation and it’s just wrong,” Cosell explained.
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Ever since Purdy took over the starting role for the 49ers, there has been a whole cottage industry based around bashing the second-year quarterback, dismissing his success as only the product of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
This upcoming game against the Kansas City Chiefs will provide the perfect opportunity for Purdy to silence his doubters and establish his own legacy on one of the NFL’s most-storied franchises.
Purdy has been leaning on other veterans in the locker room as well as 49ers legends Steve Young and Joe Montana as he prepares to face off against quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.