The 49ers did not ask rookie quarterback Brock Purdy to be Superman on Sunday.
Purdy stepped off the sideline in the first quarter and became the new starter for a playoff contender. His assignment, largely, is to be safe and efficient. He played well enough for the 49ers to secure a 33-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Levi’s Stadium for the team's fifth consecutive win.
“There were times where I feel like I did fail a little bit, not getting the ball out on time or making the right check,” Purdy said. “But, overall, I had a lot of help around me, and so all the guys around me just helped me settle in and play my game.”
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SIGN UP HERE Purdy completed 25 of 37 pass attempts for 210 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating was 88.8.
With Purdy on the field, the 49ers’ offense did not look much different than the approach coach Kyle Shanahan has used with Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo sustained multiple fractures of his left foot and will undergo season-ending surgery.
Purdy’s average depth of target was 5.4 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. It was the lowest of any 49ers quarterback who has played the majority of a game this season.
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“We have a rookie who is going to be under center, so we have to be better around him,” 49ers All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said. “We have to band together and try to take as much pressure off his shoulders as possible.
“He’s a great prospect. We can win ball games with him. And we got a lot of faith in him.”
Purdy, who finished his four-year career at Iowa State with 46 consecutive starts, did not look overwhelmed in his first significant NFL playing time.
“Brock has played a lot of football and I think you can tell, just the way that he plays the position,” said 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Purdy in the first quarter.
“He has a savviness to him. He has an understanding. He has a confidence to him. I thought he did a really good job in the huddle. ... I think we can definitely still do some things with Brock.”
The Dolphins blitzed Purdy on 30 percent of his drop backs. He completed eight of 12 passes for 49 yards with one interception.
Here are some other notable stats from Sunday’s game, courtesy of PFF:
-- Running back Christian McCaffrey had eight catches for 80 yards, with five of his receptions resulting in a first down or a touchdown. He had a 3-yard scoring catch from Purdy in the second quarter.
-- Left tackle Trent Williams allowed just one quarterback pressure (sack) in 48 pass-blocking snaps.
-- Right guard Daniel Brunskill started and played the entire game at right guard with rookie Spencer Burford (ankle) inactive. Brunskill did not give up a pressure in pass protection.
-- Defensive end Nick Bosa had seven quarterback pressures (three sacks, two hits, two hurries). He accounted for half of the team’s 14 pressures on Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
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-- Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans dialed up only three blitzes. One was on the first play of the game, which resulted in Tagovailoa’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield. The outcomes of the other pressures were an incomplete pass and a Bosa sack.
-- Miami receiver Tyreek Hill had nine catches for 146 yards against five different 49ers players in coverage. Charvarius Ward gave up one catch, which resulted in HIll’s 45-yard touchdown. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was in coverage for four Hill receptions, totaling 46 yards.