If it rains, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will return to an old college game plan against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Purdy, who struggled in a rain-soaked Week 6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, intends to wear gloves as he did at Iowa State. When the two NFC powers meet on December 3, there is a 58% probability of rain in Philadelphia.
“Yeah, I think just sort of going into it, like just being ready for obviously the rain,” Purdy told reporters on Thursday. “In Cleveland, it seemed to come out of nowhere, like mid-drive, and it was a little difficult to deal with that one drive.”
“But to maybe have a plan of if I need a glove, if I don’t, if it’s down pouring, if it’s a slight rain, that’ll just probably be one of those decisions once we get there and you see the weather and how it is right before the game starts, but those are things that I’ll definitely be thinking about,” he said.
In the rain at Cleveland, he completed 44.4% of his throws for 125 yards and a touchdown with an interception. On a rainy field, Purdy recorded a season-low 55.3 quarterback rating against the league’s best defense.
“Yeah, I think if it’s a down pouring rain, putting on a glove, I think for me at least, sort of just helps, obviously a little bit more tack on the ball and whatnot,” Purdy said.
“If it’s a light rain, I don’t know if that’s necessarily a necessity. I feel like I can grip the ball just as fine with or without a glove with a light rain,” Purdy added. “So, if it’s down pouring, I feel like having something to help the hand sort of grip the ball, that’s really the only difference.”
Brock Purdy Downplays Return to Philly
Purdy’s amazing rookie season and playoff run ended abruptly in Philadelphia 11 months ago when he suffered a season-ending elbow injury.
Following Purdy’s exit, the 49ers were defeated 31-7 by the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Despite the match’s historical significance, Purdy played it down.
“I guess people can make it like that,” Purdy speculated. “Really for us like I said, we’re later in the year so every single game is huge in terms of going in the playoffs and setting yourself up for where you’re going to be in the playoffs.”
Brock Purdy Concerned About Playoff Implications
San Francisco (8-3) trails the Eagles (10-1) for the top NFC playoff berth by two games. The 49ers must win on Sunday to have a chance at first place and a bye, as the No. 2 seed no longer receives a bye in the seven-team tournament.
“So that’s how we’re looking at it.” That’s the way I see things. Yes, it will be a difficult location to play,” Purdy acknowledged. “They’re a fantastic team.” This year, they’ve found methods to win, and they’re pretty excellent. So it’s a new and exciting challenge for us.”
“However, have I circled this game for the last year?” “To be honest, it hasn’t been that way for me,” Purdy continued. “From the start of the season to where we are now, it’s been about how I can be the best. I’ve taken things one day at a time, week by week, and now is our next challenge, Week 13 in Philadelphia.”
For Heavy.com, Matthew Davis covers the NFL, focusing on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers. He has covered Minnesota prep sports as a contributing writer for the StarTribune since 2016.More information on Matthew Davis
