Brock Purdy repeatedly is praised for his calm, even-keeled demeanor on the football field, but when the 49ers quarterback was faced with a new obstacle Thursday night, his mentality briefly was challenged.
The second-year pro threw the first pick-six of his NFL career in San Francisco's 31-13 Thanksgiving win over the Seattle Seahawks, but he explained that even while experiencing a new form of adversity, his mindset couldn't change.
"Obviously we're up by three touchdowns, and then we just give them one like that, so now it's a two-score game," Purdy told reporters at Lumen Field after the game. "So, now it's real. And the game is back into play, it felt, in terms of them being back in the game. So, for myself, I got to be smart with the ball, but at the same time, I still got to have that aggressive edge to myself and not be afraid to rip stuff in tight windows still and move the ball, get first downs and score touchdowns.
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"That's where I was at with my mindset moving forward. Obviously, it sucked going through it -- I got to learn from it. But in terms of who I am and playing this position, that can't change. So, that's what I had to keep telling myself."
On the 49ers' first second-half possession, Purdy threw a pass to Christian McCaffrey, but the 49ers running back tipped the ball, which landed in Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks' hands. Brooks then raced 12 yards into the end zone to pull Seattle within 24-10 with 11:23 left in the third quarter.
San Francisco 49ers
Purdy, however, responded midway through the fourth quarter with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk -- which the QB ripped into a tight window between four defenders -- to put the Seahawks away for good.
San Francisco improved to 8-3 on the season, and with Purdy's steady but resilient mindset, will hope to keep things rolling the rest of the way.