Much like the rest of the NFL, the Cowboys have slowly but surely caught on to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s abilities despite his rookie status.
Longtime Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave his thoughts on the 23-year-old quarterback and what he expects in the upcoming divisional-playoff clash on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“Well I just see an inordinate rookie and inordinate play in his ability to convert,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan’s “K&C Masterpiece” on Friday. “His presence, I saw him get out of the pocket a little bit, avoid a potential problem with a tackler -- and then just came out of that like he had been doing it 15 years and made the play this past weekend.
“That’s exceptional, so we’ve got to realize that we just can’t (think) this is an inexperienced player, let’s play accordingly.”
Just one day before Jones’ comments, Dallas coach Mike McCarthy also praised Purdy, saying the team doesn’t view him as a rookie anymore.
“You can’t get too far away from what you believe and your preparation,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday. “You got to trust the video you have on him. We’re not studying college tape or anything like that, he’s got plenty of film now and he’s played at a very high level.
“He’s not a rookie anymore in our eyes.”
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While it has been nice to see Purdy get a little more respect from opposing teams week by week, his coach pinpointed when he realized Purdy was special.
“I felt that during the Miami [Dolphins] game,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Friday. “That was a game with a lot of high stakes. We were playing a real good team. He came in real early in the game, and we were under a lot of duress, the way that their defense was playing, the way they were coming after us, and he didn't play at all like a rookie in that game.
“And I remember getting home that night and all of us being pretty down about losing Jimmy [Garoppolo], that we did get in there with Brock, and as I was going to bed and it kind of hit me that he definitely didn't play like a third-stringer today. And we'll see how it goes this week, but we felt pretty good then. And you have to see when you go to his first start, but he looked the same way in practice that whole week and had a hell of a first start. And I think we all quickly forgot that he's a rookie.”
In Purdy's seven games since taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo, the Iowa product has thrown 16 touchdown passes, run for two more and thrown just three interceptions. He's making history as a rookie -- and he's not done yet.
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Sunday's matchup against Micah Parsons and Dallas' defense will be his biggest challenge yet, but if he continues to do what's he has been doing since taking over the helm, Purdy could lead the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game and one win away from Super Bowl LVII.