Brock Purdy is gearing up to play in the Super Bowl to cap his first full season as an NFL starter. He’s been impressive in the regular season during his two years as a pro, amassing a 17-4 record and leading the 49ers to a pair of NFC West titles. He’s also notched a 4-1 postseason record after a massive comeback in the NFC championship game vs. the Lions.
So how good has Purdy been in the playoffs? And was the 17-point comeback in the NFC title game part of Purdy’s best playoff performance?
We dug through his five postseason starts and ranked them:
5
Jan. 29, 2023: NFC championship at Eagles
Final score: Eagles 31, 49ers 7
Stats: 4-4 (100 percent), 23 yards (5.8 yards per attempt), 90.6 rating
Why it’s ranked here: I mean … isn’t it obvious?
4
Jan. 20, 2024: Divisional round vs. Packers
Final score: 49ers 24, Packers 21
Stats: 23-39 (59.0 percent), 252 yards (6.5 yards per attempt), TD, 86.7 rating, 6 rushes, 14 rushing yards
Why it’s ranked here: Purdy did check the “fourth quarter comeback” box in this one after rallying the 49ers from a 21-14 deficit in the final 15 minutes. However, he was not particularly good on a rainy night at Levi’s Stadium. He was inaccurate, nearly threw a pick-six early in the game, and was uncharacteristically indecisive all night. His final drive was good enough to get the team a win, but the fact the 49ers had to come from behind to knock off the visiting No. 7 seed Packers is a testament to some of the struggles the QB dealt with throughout the game.
3
Jan. 14, 2023: Wild card game vs. Seahawks
Final score: 49ers 41, Seahawks 23
Stats: 18-30 (60.0 percent), 332 yards (11.1 yards per attempt), 3 TDs, 87.4 rating, 4 rushes, 16 rushing yards, rushing TD
Why it’s ranked here: This was Purdy’s first playoff start, so his slow start is forgivable. He misfired a few times early and nearly had a couple passes intercepted. Eventually he settled in though and put up the big-time numbers that have helped define the early part of his career. There’s an argument to be made that this one should be higher on the list considering he accounted for four touchdowns, but the two upcoming outings were overall more impressive.
2
Jan. 22, 2023: Divisional round vs. Cowboys
Final score: 49ers 19, Cowboys 12
Stats: 19-29 (65.5 percent), 214 yards (7.4 yards per attempt), 87.4 rating, 3 rushes, 8 rushing yards
Why it’s ranked here: Statistically Purdy’s follow up to his playoff debut vs. the Seahawks fell woefully short of the bar he set against Seattle. Dallas’ defense destroyed the 49ers’ offensive line though and forced Purdy to play off schedule all game. Even though San Francisco’s offense struggled to really get rolling, Purdy made a couple of big-time throws and managed to survive the onslaught of pressure without committing any turnovers. In a game as tight as that one, ball security was a major key. Purdy’s ability to navigate a suboptimal performance from his OL on the biggest stage he’d played in to that point makes this one of his best postseason outings.
1
Jan. 28, 2024: NFC championship vs. Lions
Final score: 49ers 34, Lions 31
Stats: 20-31 (64.5 percent), 267 yards (8.6 yards per attempt), TD, INT, 89.0 rating, 5 rushes, 48 rushing yards
Why it’s ranked here: Purdy in this game answered the greatest lingering question about him: can he lead a comeback? He helped guide San Francisco from 17 points down in the second half, and while it wasn’t his best game through the air, he changed the game with scrambling and his escapability in the pocket. There were opportunities for him to meltdown and give the game away, and he never did. It was a super impressive performance on the biggest stage he’d ever played on, and it pushed him into a tier of QB that can help a team navigate a substantial deficit in a playoff game.
