Brock Purdy is rightfully cementing himself as one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks. But as Patrick Mahomes is showcasing right now, sometimes you simply need to be great rather than just good.
Purdy had a tremendous second pro season. Most weeks he made few mistakes, helping guide the 49ers to dominance throughout the regular season. But he and San Francisco had one close call after another in the playoffs, and it finally came back to bite them in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
The 24-year-old completed 23 of his 38 pass attempts for 255 yards and a touchdown in the loss. He was smart with the ball, somehow avoiding any turnovers and taking just one sack despite Steve Spagnuolo sending plenty of pressure.
However, he never really made any game-altering plays. Joe Shasky said Monday on The Morning Roast that the difference between good and great loomed large.
"He was good, but not great,” Shasky said. “No one is saying he lost the game, but to win a Super Bowl – he had been excellent all year, he was great all year – but the reality is in the playoff games he was just good. That’s the difference.
“I’m not trying to rip the guy, he’s in his second year. But part of what we’re talking about when we talk about franchise quarterbacks, when you want to win a Super Bowl, you have to be great. He was good.”
Of course, not all of it falls on Purdy. Deebo Samuel struggled to get separation while George Kittle was a non-factor in the passing game. Kyle Shanahan also should’ve gotten Christian McCaffrey more touches on the ground.
But to Shasky’s point, sometimes the franchise quarterback gets called upon to make something out of nothing. And that was an area this postseason where Purdy left a little to be desired.