SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense got off to a slow start in San Francisco's 30-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on "Sunday Night Football."
The signal-caller completed only 10 of his 16 pass attempts for 151 yards in the first half, as the 49ers' offense settled for field goals twice. Purdy was sacked once for a loss of seven yards and registered one run for 13 yards.
Then, in the third quarter, Purdy and the offense rallied, putting 21 unanswered points on the scoreboard, a performance that coach Kyle Shanahan believes could help propel the team forward into the second half of the season.
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“Yeah, I do,” Shanahan said. “I think it was a gut check for him, I mean, for all of us. Things in the first half, we were close, but it didn't go great. Brock, there was a couple plays I know he'd love to have back. He came out in the second half and there were a few plays that weren't there, and he did a hell of a job extending with his feet.”
Purdy looked more like his 2023 self after halftime, making plays on his own with seven additional carries for 43 yards while completing eight of his 10 attempts for 109 yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing score.
“The one in particular, we were trying to throw a screen at Deebo [Samuel] and the D-end peeled with it,” Shanahan said. “Which just means you have no play, and he just ran and turned it into a 16-yarder. So, he did some real big things there in the second half.”
Purdy’s 56 rushing yards are his highest of the season and his 210 total rushing yards through eight weeks surpasses his 144-yard total from 2023 by a substantial amount. The Iowa State product’s mobility has been much more evident in extending plays as well as moving the chains.
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“It just adds another tool,” Shanahan said. “It's really tough, the heat of battle, just with all those plays and situations that you get sometimes where if the guys aren't opening things, that the play is over. Or just when someone misses in the pocket and someone gets there, it usually ends fast.
“But Brock's got the quickness to get away from people, he’s got a kind of feel on when to hit it. He was awesome today with his scrambling and he's been awesome all year with it.”
Purdy will get a chance to rest his legs for a little while before returning to prepare for the 49ers' road matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.
“Obviously it's a great week for all of us to just continue to rest up and heal up,” Purdy said after the game. “Then just be hard on ourselves on the film and where we can be better because the second half of the season is everything. Every game matters. It’s the most important stretch.”