QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – January 24, 2024

San Francisco 49ers

How do you go about transforming the good and the negative from one week to make yourself better the following week?

“For me you’re real with yourself. You understand where you’re at as a quarterback, how you played. It doesn’t matter if you played good or bad, like I don’t take really any of that with you the next week, it’s a new game, it’s a new scheme, it’s a new environment. Everything about it is new. So it’s almost like you’ve got to clean the slate, learn from the mistakes, build off of the good things that you’ve done. But it’s a new game. That’s the mental battle that I feel like all the NFL quarterbacks go through. I think that’s where the great ones really separate themselves from the others. So yeah, that’s how I look at it.”

When you watched the Green Bay film and you were critiquing yourself, what didn’t you like about the way you played in the first part of the game?

“I feel like early on there were some decisions that I made that sort of made me feel a little tentative after. Obviously that one that could have been intercepted. It’s like, go through your reads and take the check downs when the defense presents itself the way it does and build off that. Rather than trying to search for the play and look for the big play and then when it’s not there, not having confidence in our check downs and stuff. So that’s something that I have to be better at. That’s what I needed to do at the end of the game. I feel like we got to that point. I started doing that better. We were able to move the ball. So, that’s something that I learned for sure.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned the aggressiveness of their defense, but their corners in particular because they create takeaways, but they also give up big plays. Do you see the line of danger, but big play chances against them?

“Yeah. I think every week it’s sort of been a little different just depending on who they’re playing. They do a lot of switching up, just with their coverages and how they play guys and certain receivers that they’re covering. So it’s always a little different with them. There could be some big plays. Then there’s also plays where they’re going to play tight. As a quarterback, it’s like you’ve got to know that they’re going to be aggressive and they can make a play. So it’s definitely a fine line. Once we get into the game, hopefully we can get a feel for it and understand what kind of game it’s going to be with them.”

Given how last year when you got to this stage things ended for you personally, what does it mean to you to be back on this stage and have another opportunity just a year later to be in this game?

“This is obviously where we wanted to get to as a team. That’s first and foremost. Obviously, I’m excited that we’re here. Last year is last year. That was its own game. It hasn’t been anything that has bled into this year or this game. This is the 49ers against the Lions now. So it’s a new year, a new approach I feel like, just in terms of playing their defense and their scheme, not thinking about last year or anything. So for me, obviously I got hurt last year and it sucked. That was part of the game. Going into this game, I’m healthy, feel good. I think for all of us, we’re obviously hungry and want to get to the next game after. So, we’ve got to handle business, take it one play at a time and allow everything to happen for a reason.”

Is it not trusting the check downs because you’re getting to them late because you’re looking or searching for the big play? Is that what it is?

“Yeah, I’d say so in that game.”

When you look at last year, it seemed like it happened so quickly. What’s the difference in kind of the slow build of this year knowing you’re the starting quarterback from day one, knowing that the goal is to get to the NFC Championship Game? Is there any difference in the mindset for you?

“I’ve obviously played more games this year and stuff compared to last year. So to help this team from the beginning and all the way to the end, to get to where we are now, for me it’s a little different. Obviously, that’s been our goal. Now to say that I actually helped our team, that’s cool. Where last year, I got thrusted in and we had a good team, we were rolling. Not to take away anything that happened last year, but it sort of does feel a little different because you went through so many highs and lows this year. Now to get to where we are, it feels pretty good. But at the same time, this has been this organization’s and team’s mindset long before I even got here and what they’ve been building here in terms of doing what it takes to get to a Championship. So I’m just another key part of that and I’m just doing my job as best as I can week in and week out and here we are.”

How do you feel about just the supporting cast around you of more depth in terms of being able to have contingency plans if one guy goes down, maybe more than you did last year how deep you guys are?

“Yeah, I think it’s huge. Obviously we get guys that get banged up and may not play as much and whatnot from game-to-game. But we have some studs all across the board. We’ve got guys that can step up, [WR] Jauan Jennings, [WR] Ray-Ray McCloud [III], like you’ve got guys that can come in and do the job really well. So that’s something that’s cool about our team and what this organization has done. Obviously they get guys that are willing to step in and continue to keep this thing going. We’ve shown that, I feel like throughout the years. Obviously the teams have to scheme to stop certain guys. I think at the end of the day they end up having to have to just play their way of football, rather than focusing so much on one certain guy because we have five, six, seven guys that they have to worry about. So that’s the cool part and that’s the team that we’ve got.”

What is the key to win on Sunday?

“I feel like just for us on offense, we’ve got to obviously put up points. They have a good offense. We respect their defense a lot and what they do. They’ve had a lot of success this year. Obviously the last couple games they’ve been playing really well. So for us it’s don’t turn the ball over, put up some points like we have this year, let our defense do their thing and try to win the momentum throughout the game. I feel like this game’s going to come down to momentum. Whoever has that, I think has a good chance of winning the whole thing.”

With this year at home with the Faithful on your back, do you feel like that creates a big difference in the atmosphere going into this NFC Championship?

“Yeah, just the game that this is going to be, it’s the NFC Championship, two really good teams. Then obviously just the Bay Area and the Faithful in general. We want this game bad and they’ve obviously been hoping to have another Championship come in this organization. Last couple times we’ve been in the Super Bowl, we’ve fallen short. So now we’ve get a shot at it again. So to play at home in the NFC Championship, it’s going to be sweet.”

How important is it for you and what you guys do as an offense to hopefully have WR Deebo Samuel out there?

“Yeah, it’s huge. Obviously he’s probably the best playmaker in this league. You get the ball in his hands, he can do whatever he wants. He makes guys miss, breaks tackles, he’s strong, he’s tough, he’s got grit and we all feed off it. Deebo definitely gives us some juice and energy and momentum on our offense. If he’s not playing, obviously that’s tough on us, but we’ll have guys to be able to play as well that can create that as well. If you’re asking me, we’d love for Deebo to play.”

Ray-Ray looked like a missed assignment. It looked like you said, ‘what are you doing?’ It looked like you guys had some harsh words and then you guys were on the sideline talking about it. What happened exactly on that play and what was the breakdown there?

“Yeah, I’m just going through my progressions and from where I’m at with the pocket closing and stuff, I’m expecting him to be where he is supposed to be with the route that we had called on. The corner actually slipped that was guarding him, so he was trying to be smart and throw up his hand and run the space, which I get. So in the moment, I was like, you’ve just got to be where you got to be, where I’m expecting you to be. But I totally understand what you’re doing. If a guy falls, there’s a big play to be made out there. So we had talked about it. Then we ended up on good terms. Moving forward we know what to expect out of each other and stuff and when we’re in that moment again. So it’s just communication. We’re competitors in the heat of battle. Things like that happen. We needed that in that moment in the game on that third down. So I had a little frustration come out and stuff. But it’s nothing but love. I totally trust and respect Ray-Ray and what he’s done. We’re going to be get better from it.”