The San Francisco 49ers did exactly what everybody thought they would on Sunday against the Dolphins. Thanks in large part to quarterback Brock Purdy, the red and gold dismantled Miami to the tune of 35-13.
Purdy had an all-time performance, contributing more touchdowns in the game than incompletions. He was at the heart of everything San Francisco did offensively. It's his second stellar showing in as many weeks, but this time, he showed a skill he barely flashed last game, and it bodes extremely well for the rest of the season.
In Week 1, Purdy outplayed the Rams' Matthew Stafford, throwing for three touchdowns. However, it took him 34 passes to narrowly eclipse 200 yards, thanks to 12 passes attempted behind the line of scrimmage. In fact, he only attempted five passes of 10 or more yards, and he completed just two of them.
One of the completions was a 39-yard bomb to Demarcus Robinson, but his efficiency downfield was spotty at best. The performance put him on the radar in this year's MVP conversation, but it certainly wasn't enough to deem him an undisputed contender.
Brock Purdy delivered MVP-like downfield numbers in 49ers vs. Dolphins
Week 2 against the Dolphins was an entirely different story. Purdy wasn't just effective throwing downfield. He was perfect. The 26-year-old completed all 10 of his throws of 10-plus yards, collecting 211 yards in the process. It was the most downfield throws of any QB without an incompletion since 2021.
Purdy had his way with the Miami secondary all day long. Five different 49ers had at least three receptions, and Purdy enjoyed one of, if not the best, games of his young career. His fearlessness was on full display, and he proved the one thing he failed to prove in Australia: he can, in fact, throw the deep ball.
From dinking and dunking his way to victory in Week 1 to fully embodying the term "gunslinger" in Week 2, Purdy has left no room for critics to pick apart his game. He has done it all, including using his legs to extend drives.
Purdy will have an opportunity to further his MVP case in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, though it's hard to come up with anything else he still needs to prove. Now, he simply needs to rinse and repeat every single week, as he is the clear engine of the 49ers offense in year five.
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