Brock Purdy admits he needed bye week after rough 3-game stretch

Brock Purdy's three worst games as a pro accompanied the 49ers' three-game losing streak, which means a much-needed bye was in order.

While losing games is a team problem with many root causes, no one player will endure more scrutiny for a loss than a quarterback.

Perhaps that's why San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has undergone some heat amid the Niners' three-game losing streak just before the halfway point of the season.

No longer the darling upstart who went from the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft into a surprise phenom, Purdy is expected to deliver big-time results now for a Super Bowl-contending team laden with star talent on both sides of the ball.

With Purdy and the offense struggling so much, and the quarterback tossing uncharacteristic interceptions at an alarming rate, it's understandable why a break would be welcomed.

It seems as if that was the case during San Francisco's Week 9 bye.

Brock Purdy on 49ers bye week: 'It was good for me'

Players and coaches both admitted the Week 9 break halfway through the regular season was a welcomed one, especially with head coach Kyle Shanahan pointing out how tired the team looked during its Week 8 loss at home versus the Cincinnati Bengals.

Purdy, too, told reporters the break helped his mindset, and he explained what he did while he was away:

"I went to Iowa. I was with my fiancé and her family on the farm, sort of just got away from everything and then went back to Iowa State for a game, saw everybody. To sort of have a perspective of, "all right, this is life, this is what’s going on." Yeah, I’m playing in the NFL for the 49ers, but I still have a good life with my fiancé and everything to come.

So it was good just to be able to breathe and get my mind and my thoughts, everything together and regroup for what’s to come for the second half of the season. So it was good for me."

There was something of a viral video going around on social media that had Purdy driving a tractor while out in Iowa.

As anybody who has ever had a job at any point can attest, sometimes it's just good to get away.

Why Brock Purdy needed bye week to refocus, improve for 49ers

Purdy pointed out that he didn't throw a ball whatsoever during the bye week, and that being away was able to help both his mental and physical approach to the game.

Resting his arm was important, yes. But Purdy admitted the mental part was excellent as well:

"For myself, especially, it was huge. But to be able to like step away from the game, take a breather, understand where we’re at, what we have to do, it was huge for me to clear my mind and then come back like excited for the second half and for the stretch of some good football that we have to play. So I feel good."

Read more: 49ers vs. Jaguars: Week 10 odds, , injuries and betting trends

It's hard to quantify what a week off will do for Purdy and the rest of the 49ers, but it is possible to align it with a much-needed vacation or break.

Most everyone can understand that.

Now, Purdy and the Niners will have to showcase how that time off can translate into a much more effective offense and defense when they travel to take on the 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.

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