The San Francisco 49ers will face the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, and whenever quarterback Brock Purdy faces them, one cannot help but remember a particular game from his rookie season. In Week 7 of the 2022 season, he relieved an injury Jimmy Garoppolo and reassured fans that the team was going to be in good hands.
Purdy completed 25 of his 37 pass attempts for 210 yards and two touchdown passes with one interception. His exceptional play on short notice flashed brilliance and showed everyone that he was capable of becoming a franchise quarterback.
What was incredibly impressive about the performance is that Miami blitzed him all game long. They kept bringing pressure, and he did not get rattled by it, which is pretty remarkable considering he was a rookie taken with the very last pick in the NFL Draft.
That day, he showed poise in the pocket and a lethal combination of processing skills and quick release time. As a result, he led the Niners to a 33-17 victory.
Brock Purdy's performance against Dolphins was just the tip of the iceberg
Keep in mind that head coach Kyle Shanahan ran the ball with running back Christian McCaffrey just 17 times that day while he let Purdy throw the ball 37 times. It's evidence that Shanahan meant it when he told now-disgraced 49ers principal owner Jed York that the team’s best quarterback might be Purdy.
It only got better from there. His first start next week against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was even better, as the Niners won handily. The following week against the Seattle Seahawks, Purdy carved up the secondary. The team kept on winning until they were forced into submission by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game when Brock, along with the rest of the quarterback room, got injured.
Purdy truly had a Cinderella story of a season, and it all started with the game against the Dolphins. Now, nearly four years later, he faces Miami yet again as the undisputed leader of a team that seems destined for a deep postseason run. The Dolphins have gone the opposite direction in that time, but Purdy and the Niners cannot take them for granted.
Of all people, Purdy knows not to underestimate an opponent simply because of what experts say, so expect him to be on his game as the Niners look to go 2-0 to begin the season.
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