49ers stud: Quarterback Brock Purdy
Nate Sudfeld certainly had the better line on Saturday, going 13-of-17 for 102 yards and tossing the 49ers’ lone touchdown and subsequently converting a successful two-point try.
However, rookie quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t exactly have himself one of those outings where fans would shake their heads.
Granted, Purdy’s end-of-game stats won’t do him justice. A passing line of 14-of-23 for 128 yards, no touchdowns, a 76.0 passer rating and taking two sacks is probably what most fans would expect in a meaningless preseason bout.
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Yet Purdy was the victim of some notoriously bad drops from a number of his receiving targets, didn’t receive a ton of protection help from his offensive line and was also slapped with being at fault for a goal-line fumble the Vikings recovered, even though the Minnesota defender clearly committed a neutral-zone infraction but wasn’t flagged.
All in all, though, Purdy’s night was a quality one. He might not be close to moving the needle, in terms of forcing the Niners to bump Sudfeld down to a QB3 role with Purdy directly backing up the starter, Trey Lance.
But at least Purdy has kept himself in the discussion, and Saturday’s efforts help reinforce that.