The goalposts continue to move
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy played well enough in the second half against the Detroit Lions to shake the “game manager” label. He made several plays out of structure with his legs, leading to explosive or chunk plays for the offense.
Even his biggest doubters on TV turned the corner and gave him credit. But there are still some analysts out there who are digging their heels in to their original take and still aren’t sold on Purdy.
The latest? Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton:
“I’ve never said that Brock Purdy was trash. What I did say, was that Brock Purdy is a game manager. That’s not hate, that’s just what I feel to be facts.
To be labeled a game changer, Brock Purdy has to be the best player on the offensive side of the ball. And that’s not the case
If you really just want to be honest, if you add in the defensive talent and you add in the offensive talent, Brock Purdy is the 10th-best player on this team. OK, cool. Did he have a great game? Yes. Has he been playing out of his mind? Yes. Is he a quarterback that’s hot? Yes. But he’s still the 10th-best player on the team.”
That sound you hear are the goalposts moving.
This has nothing to do with talent. Most quarterbacks on this roster would come out to the 10th-best player on the team. Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, and Fred Warner all have arguments to be the best players at their positions in the NFL.
That doesn’t mean you discredit what the quarterback did.
Bringing defense into the conversation a couple of days after the 49ers’ gave up 442 yards is certainly a choice. In that video above, there are at least seven or eight plays proving Purdy’s playmaking ability.
I think it comes down to the one thing that most people struggle with in general: Moving off their original take. There should be no shame in admitting you were wrong. I thought the 49ers would win 34-20. Obviously, I sold the Lions offense short and was completely wrong.
If at any point this year, you felt like Purdy was in the same category as a Jared Goff, there’s nothing wrong with that. We can evolve and adjust with more information.
Or, you can be like Cam.
About the Author: Insidethe49
