The keepers of the NFL’s record books had better prepare their pens.
asserted
keepers → prepare → pens
There’s a new name that’s going to need to be entered: Brock Purdy.
asserted
that → ’ → ?
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback took home a pretty nice honor Thursday — recognized as the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for the first time in his career — but that may feel like small potatoes in a couple weeks when he officially earns another title:
The highest-rated passer in NFL history.
uncertain
he → take → history
Purdy’s hot start this season has done more than take Kyle Shanahan’s offense to another level and propel his name into the center of the MVP debate.
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season → do → debate
It has put him on the cusp of an NFL record.
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It → put → record
That is, if he can get past two of his toughest tests of the season the next two weeks.
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he → get → season
Purdy is 64 pass attempts away from 1,500 for his career, which will officially qualify him for the NFL record books.
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which → qualify → books
With three straight games of a 100-plus rating — the only QB in the NFL with that notch on their belt this season — Purdy’s career number is sitting pretty at 105.4.
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number → sit → 105.4
The current record holder, Lamar Jackson, has a mark of 102.7.
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holder → have → 102.7
Three others have ratings of 100 or better: Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes.
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others → have → 100
The rest of the Top 10 is populated by Russell Wilson, DeShaun Watson, Drew Brees, Dak Prescott, Jimmy Garoppolo (!), Jared Goff and Tom Brady.
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rest → populate → Wilson
Reflective of the emphasis on passing in the modern offense, but generally pretty good company to keep.
(The only QBs in the top-50 all-time who played even a majority of their careers before the 2000s?
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who → keep → 2000s
The metric, for anyone familiar, measures completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdowns per attempt, and interceptions per attempt on a scale of 0 to 158.3.
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metric → measure → 158.3
Purdy’s 20-of-22 effort against the Dolphins, for example, scored a 149.1, the second-highest mark in the NFL this season (trailing Trevor Lawrence’s four-TD, five-incompletion game in Week 1.)
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effort → score → Week
Purdy is the only quarterback responsible for two of the Top 10 individual game passer ratings this season, with his four-touchdown performance last week checking in at No. 8 (133.8).
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performance → check → .
Shanahan’s system, evolved from Walsh, sets up any quarterback to perform well in the formula with a steady diet of high-efficiency throws.
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quarterback → evolve → throws
Purdy picked it up from the jump — on his way to beginning his career 6-0 upon taking over for an injured Garappolo, he also became the first QB in NFL history with passer ratings of 95 or better in his first six starts.
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he → pick → starts
Now in Year 5 with Shanahan and many of his favorite weapons, Purdy has elevated his play.
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Purdy → elevate → play
General manager John Lynch said on KNBR this week that he has noticed Purdy operating with more “conviction” and putting more “torque” on his throws.
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Purdy → say → throws
“He’s been known as the ‘layer king’ over the years,” Lynch said.
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Lynch → know → years
“He’s really driving the football this year.”
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He → drive → football
That, Purdy explained, is partially a product of his increasing comfort and command of Shanahan’s offense.
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Purdy → explain → offense
But it was also a focus this summer after watching tape from last season.
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it → watch → season
“Obviously I’m pretty [good] with the touch ball and anticipation, but when it comes to getting the ball out of my hands and windows closing quick in the NFL, for me, this year I wanted to make an emphasis on just putting more zip on the ball and having a violent mindset
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I → come → mindset
,” Purdy said.
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Purdy → say → ?
“I don’t think it has anything to do with [arm strength], I think it’s your mindset when you drop back and you’re going through progressions.
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you → think → progressions
It’s worked out well for him against a jet-lagged Rams defense and two other overmatched opponents.
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It → work → defense
Purdy’s performance on Sunday against the Broncos and the following week in Seattle will reveal a lot about his growth from last season.
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performance → follow → season
In theory, the next two weeks could determine if he earns the top spot in the record book.
uncertain
he → determine → book
But in reality, Purdy has been so good already this season that his passer rating is almost guaranteed to be higher than Jackson’s when he qualifies, most likely a few weeks from now on Monday Night Football at home against the Commanders.
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he → guarantee → Commanders
That’s not to say it won’t be a challenge: Vance Joseph’s defense, featuring Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, has limited opposing QBs to a 74.3 rating this season, third-worst in the NFL.
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defense → say → NFL
Awaiting next week: the Seahawks, with a 76.2 opposing passer rating that ranks fifth.
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that → await → rating
But it would take something extraordinary for Purdy to put together the kind of clunker that it would take for his career mark to fall below 102.7.
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mark → take → 102.7
If he even completes 33% of his next 64 passes for a measly 130 yards, Purdy’s passer rating would still come out just ahead – 102.8.
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rating → complete → yards
Really, the number to shoot for is 110.7.
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number → shoot → ?
That was Mahomes’ passer rating when he reached the threshold to qualify in his fourth season, the highest mark ever for a QB in his first 1,500 attempts.
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he → reach → attempts
The Aporia
