SANTA CLARA — While no one at 49ers team headquarters had any doubts about Brock Purdy, the quarterback silenced a few more outside naysayers Sunday in a 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Prior to the game, the only knock on Purdy was his lack of deep completions in games. In the 49ers' win, though, the second-year pro aired out the ball multiple times to receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who caught all six targets for 148 yards.
The 49ers' four longest plays of the game were Purdy connecting with Aiyuk for 42, 34, 25 and 20 yards.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Purdy finished 20-of-21 passing for 283 yards and one touchdown with a 134.6 rating. He also ran the ball for a TD late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Tight end George Kittle chuckled a little when asked if Purdy finally has quelled all of the doubters outside of the building.
“System quarterback probably, that’s all it is, right?” Kittle said. “He just keeps getting better week by week, and that’s all you want from a quarterback, especially a young guy. I think I’ve said the same things 13 games in a row. He does the right thing every single time, gets us in the right formations, great in the huddle and he make plays.”
Trent Williams has been an advocate for his young quarterback since he took over the helm in Week 12 last season. The veteran left tackle has been impressed with Purdy’s efficiency and his command of the huddle.
San Francisco 49ers
“The ball was coming out pretty quick,” Williams said of Purdy's Sunday performance. “Brock put the ball where it needed to be. He put it in some tight windows, too. Brock does a great job of getting them the ball, and they do an excellent job turning a 4-yard catch into a 14-yard play.”
“From what I see, he is exactly what we need him to be. He is exactly who we thought he was. He just continues to move forward, even-keeled.”
The man who works most closely with Purdy on the field also is impressed with the quarterback's improvements since being tapped as the 49ers' starting quarterback. Center Jake Brendel wasn’t surprised that Purdy threw only one incompletion Sunday.
“I think he's been studying his butt off during the offseason,” Brendel said. “He knows the offense even more than he did last season. The efficiency he has on the line of scrimmage and in the huddle has been greatly improved, and he’s just been getting better every single week.”
Purdy and Co. now have a week to prepare for their Week 5 prime-time matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, whom they defeated in last season's divisional playoff round.