Brock Purdy has had no trouble noticing what’s happening in front of him, and after two strong wins to open the season, he made it clear the 49ers’ offensive line deserves a lot more credit.
San Francisco’s fast start has featured Purdy playing at a high level against the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins, two teams that sit at opposite ends of the league in terms of roster quality. He’s come out of both games with convincing victories, and the early evidence suggests he may be even better than he was a season ago.
Still, one of the biggest reasons for that success keeps getting overlooked: the offensive line.
Kyle Shanahan has long leaned on a group that has often been treated like an afterthought, with Trent Williams standing as the obvious exception. Williams is not just the best player on the line, but one of the all-time greats at the position. Outside of him, the unit has not exactly been a strength.
But the first two games offered a different picture.
Against the Rams, the 49ers’ line helped keep Myles Garrett, one of the premier pass rushers of his era, completely quiet. Garrett did not record a sack, and the only real blemish on Purdy’s night was a throw that turned into an obvious interception.
Then came the Dolphins game, where Purdy showed poise in the pocket even while the ground game struggled to get going. In fact, he finished as the 49ers’ leading rusher, a detail that underscored just how much better the pass protection looked than the run blocking.
After that game, Purdy gave the line plenty of praise.
"They're doing an amazing job," stated Purdy to reporters after the Dolphins matchup.
"I just feel like coming into this offseason, our offensive line's had a chip on their shoulders for one, to get back to our standard of running the ball and creating gaps for our running backs and stuff and plays like that.
"Then, obviously, in the pass game, they've taken on the challenge of keeping me upright and clean and doing a great job. I know that they do that every game. That's their mindset in the past years and stuff, but man, they've done a great job.
"They're all playing together as a unit. You could feel them out there.
They were finishing blocks and not having any gasser kind of plays. So for me, that's really encouraging.
"Obviously, I love those boys. I'm going to go to war with them every Sunday, but I know they're going to keep it up and they need my best as well."
If the 49ers want this start to mean something, that kind of protection has to stick around. Purdy needs it.
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