Quarterback Brock Purdy was never expected to get a start in 2022. With injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, the final pick at the NFL’s latest auction will be tasked with keeping his team at the top of its game. division.
The good news for the 49ers of San Francisco is that Purdy looked good in relief to Jimmy G last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. He will also have the luxury of being surrounded by a squad that can dream of the championship. There is worse as a context.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan even gave his rookie quarterback a significant vote of confidence by turning his nose up at veteran Baker Mayfield, who is still available on waivers.
From Iowa State University, Purdy received the nickname Mr. Irrelevant (Mr. Insignificant) after the draft, since his name was the 262e called. Despite this underdog status, he delivered a reassuring performance after Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in the first quarter. An injury that will keep him out for seven to eight weeks.
Purdy completed 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards and had two touchdowns to lead the team to a 33-17 win.
Purdy will face a tough challenge in his first career start. He will face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rookie will at least have the privilege of being able to count on good ammunition with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle.
Sunday’s match will be revealing for the 49ers. On the one hand, because it will be a good test to know if, carried by the inexperience, the Californian formation will be able to compete with the best teams of the circuit once in playoffs.
On the other hand, the Niners will try to protect their one-game lead over the Seattle Seahawks at the top of the National’s West Division. The team led by the amazing Geno Smith will face the diminished Carolina Panthers.
In this 14e week of activity, the games are far from over for the playoffs and several quarterbacks will be thrown into the lion’s mouth with the thankless task of saving the season for their respective teams.
Tyler Huntley’s second chance
Compared to Purdy, Tyler Huntley has NFL experience. However, the sample provided is inconclusive.
PHOTO PATRICK SEMANSKY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley will have to replace Lamar Jackson for a few games.
Lamar Jackson sprained his knee in the Baltimore Ravens’ last game against the Denver Broncos and will have to sit out a few games.
Tyler Huntley did the necessary relief, giving his team a narrow 10-9 victory. However, Ravens executives have to cross their fingers, knock on wood and hang rosaries on their clotheslines to hope that the third-year quarterback responds better than last year to the pressure to replace Jackson.
In seven games, he had led his team only twice to victory. The Ravens are in a good position heading into the playoffs, but they’re fighting for home court advantage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, their next opponents, are in reconstruction, and certainly less threatening than at one time. The instability and fickleness of Mark Andrews, Gus Edwards, Devin Duvernay and Kenyan Drake still put Huntley in a precarious position. With the Cincinnati Bengals blowing down the Ravens’ necks, what’s next will be interesting and unpredictable.
The Mike White Enigma
Zach Wilson is still in the bad graces of his trainer Robert Saleh. Which means Mike White will inherit a third straight start for the New York Jets on Sunday against the Bills. Buffalo, however, could be deprived of good defensive elements, a fragile facet of play for the American’s best team in recent weeks.
PHOTO MATT KROHN, USA TODAY SPORTS
New York Jets quarterback Mike White will get his third straight start Sunday against the Bills in Buffalo.
What’s fascinating about White’s case is that even though no one saw it coming, like Alicia Keys’ Christmas album, it gets the job done. He won his first game against the Chicago Bears and lost his second against the Minnesota Vikings, although it came down to very little. He just needs to find a connection with his receivers and be a little more effective in the pay zone and the Jets would have the right to believe in it.
The New York formation occupies the last place giving access to the playoffs with a record of 9-3.
If White becomes the solution for the Jets, we will have to wonder what will become of Wilson, second choice of the 2021 auction. Will he become the next Sam Darnold or Mitchell Trubisky?
Only Mike White has the answer.