The San Francisco 49ers earned a hard-fought victory on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, securing back-to-back wins for the first time this season and improving their record to 5-4. During the plane ride back to California, wide receiver Deebo Samuel walked by a visibly frustrated Brock Purdy and wondered why his quarterback was upset.
In addition to earning the win, Purdy threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns, posting a 119.3 passer rating. His yardage total marked the third-most of his career, so Samuel couldn't initially understand why Purdy was distressed.
"I'm like, 'What's going on? You almost just threw for 400 yards, and we won the game.' And he's like, 'I just got to be better,'" Samuel said this week on his podcast, Cleats and Convos, per Joaquin Ruiz of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Samuel explained that this wasn't the first time Purdy had reacted this way after a seemingly strong performance. The quarterback is always determined to improve, often focusing on his mistakes to avoid repeating them.
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that Purdy had a shaky start, saying, "He did miss a few throws in the first half, just being a little bit off, and it cost us on a couple ones. But the way he came back in the second half was huge."
Purdy engineered a game-winning drive, completing four of five passes for 39 yards to set up kicker Jake Moody for a redeeming 44-yard field goal.
"Definitely felt out of rhythm to start the game," Purdy said after the game. "Not really sure what it was, but I know (in the) second half, I just told myself, 'All right, dude, just go out and compete and rip it. Don't hesitate.' And I thought second half, we all did that. The guys were open. I didn't hold back."
While many credit his strong finish, Purdy remains focused on his mistakes earlier in the game, knowing that every play can be the difference between victory and defeat.
"That's always [Purdy's] mentality -- that he's got to be better -- and he was just sitting there beating himself up," Samuel said. "I'm like, 'Bro, we just won the game,' and he's like, 'I got to make this throw, I got to make this throw.'"
Purdy is on pace for over 4,600 passing yards this season, which would shatter the single-season franchise record he set just last year. His 13.6 yards per completion lead the NFL, while his 82.0 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus ranks eighth among all quarterbacks.
The 49ers are preparing to host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, aiming for a third consecutive victory to strengthen their playoff hopes.
