Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy impresses again as the San Francisco 49ers beat the NFC West with victory over the Seattle Seahawks | CNN

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Is there anything stopping brooke purdy?

The rookie quarterback, who was drafted with the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, started his second game Thursday night, recording his second consecutive winning start.

Purdy completed 17 of his 26 pass attempts for 217 yards, threw two touchdowns and no interceptions in the San Francisco 49ers’ 21-13 win over their NFC Western rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.

The win clinched the 49ers’ division—becoming the first team this season to do so—as the team improved its record to 10-4.

And then San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was full of praise for Purdy.

“He’s definitely the most balanced rookie ever. He’s been like that since he got here,” Shanahan said, in the NFL. “He’s been on his toes all week, even unsure of whether he’ll be able to go or not.

“Under the circumstances, we didn’t have any other options, we were going to see how long it could go on, and we were willing to go with it.” [backup] Josh [Johnson]. But he just got comfortable, and he got better as the game progressed, which was incredible.”

When Purdy was drafted with the 262nd pick earlier this year – he was named Mr. Irrelevant’ – became the 49ers’ third-string quarterback.

But after both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo sustained serious injuries, Purdy was thrown into the fire and seemed to have experience beyond his years since doing so.

The former Iowa star played a big role in an important win over the Miami Dolphins after coming off the bench following an injury to Garoppolo. And in his first start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he again led the team to a win.

However, with only four days between the Bucs game and a divisional clash with the Seahawks, there were question marks over Purdy’s availability due to injury.

According to the NFL, there were concerns that Purdy would not be able to play until hours before kickoff due to a rib/rib area injury.

But the 22-year-old showed no signs of pain against the Seahawks, as with his third consecutive two-touchdown pass game, Purdy became the first rookie quarterback to throw for two or more touchdowns in three straight games since Justin did. Herbert. in 2020, and the only 49ers rookie to accomplish the feat, according to NFL research.

Purdy joined more stellar performers, becoming the only other player, besides four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, since 1950 to have a passer rating of 115+ in each of his first starts, according to NFL research. .

But the grit to fight through the pain barrier was the standout takeaway from Thursday night for Shanahan.

“Definitely another level, another level for me was just watching somebody do that,” said Shanahan, in the NFL. “To just be able to play, let alone play the way he plays, to protect the ball, he struggled to move a little bit at times, but…the team had a lot of respect for him before that game, but a lot more now.”

George Kittle, who had two touchdowns and 93 receiving yards in the win, was full of praise for Purdy.

“What Brock’s done since he came in is he’s been confident in OTAs…and he’s played the best defense in the NFL, he’s been in preseason games and he’s been stitching balls,” Kettle said on the Prime Video postgame show. NFL.

“He’s had confidence ever since he entered the building, and everyone on this team has felt that. He was just waiting for his chance, and unfortunately with all the injuries in the quarterback, he finally got his chance.”