Why 1 of Brock Purdy's 2 interceptions vs. Vikings wasn't his fault

Brock Purdy tossed two late interceptions in the loss against the Vikings, but one of those wasn't exactly his fault.

At the end of any game, when a quarterback tosses two interceptions, he's going to take the blame for it.

Such is the case for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who played well enough up to the final six minutes of the Niners' Week 7 Monday Night Football loss to the Minnesota Vikings, only to find himself ultimately responsible for two fourth-quarter interceptions that ultimately sealed San Francisco's fate.

Two picks, both intercepted by Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, were on drives that could have given the 49ers a go-ahead lead.

However, Purdy failing to deliver in those moments is going to stain what has otherwise been a promising ascent after being selected as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft just over a year ago.

But, what if one of those interceptions wasn't exactly his fault?

49ers WR Jauan Jennings bears some blame for Brock Purdy's 1st INT

Purdy's second interception with just over 30 seconds in regulation was a desperation play, as he was trying to climb the pocket and target wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud on what ended up being an ill-advised pass.

But the first, which took place at the 5:36 mark of the fourth quarter, isn't necessarily squarely on Purdy's shoulders.

You'll have to wait for the All-22 film to come out, and company policies restrict us from sharing non-authorized video replays.

However, what happens on the first pick is wide receiver Jauan Jennings winds up being late as he cuts into his route to head inside. You can't see it in the Monday Night Football broadcast clip below, but Jennings didn't get into his cut soon enough:

Related story: 4 reasons 49ers embarrassingly lost to Vikings on Monday night

After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that he thought Purdy "just missed the throw." The coach also added, "I thought he just sailed it a little bit inside, had Jauan right there."

Purdy, too, wasn't going to throw Jennings under the bus for not being at the intended delivery point on time.

After the game, Purdy said

"J.J. did a good job in his route, and the D-line got a good push on us, and I sort of just was trying to anticipate the throw. At the end of the day, it was a bad ball, and obviously, I threw it too far ahead of him."

Purdy is showing leadership this way. The last thing he wants to do is alienate his receivers, even the fringe ones like Jennings who did step up big with fellow wideout Deebo Samuel out with a shoulder injury.

In the wake of Jennings' five-catch, 54-yard game, Purdy wants to show appreciation not frustration.

That said, in a timing-based offense like that the Niners run, the quarterback can fairly wish that Jennings broke into his cut a little earlier.

Had he done so, that first interception likely winds up being a completion instead of an interception.

In a stats-based game, though, the final responsibility ultimately falls on Purdy whether it's right or not.

Read more from Niner Noise