Stat Shows Big Difference Brock Purdy Has Made To 49ers’ Offense

Over the last five seasons, the San Francisco 49ers, when healthy, have been one of the very best teams in the NFL.

They have reached the NFC Championship Game in three of the last four seasons, and they have done so on the strength of an outstanding defense.

But when they traded for star running back Christian McCaffrey last October, their offense suddenly started to look very potent, if not dangerous.

That offense started humming with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, but ever since Brock Purdy replaced him in Week 13 of last season, that offense has risen to an even higher level.

As Computer Cowboy pointed out, one stat — EPA per play — shows how Purdy has done better with McCaffrey than Garoppolo did.

EPA per play:

— Jimmy G with CMC (weeks 7-13 2022): 0.26
— Purdy this year: 0.39

Difference is about as big as this year’s difference between Mahomes & Gardner Minshew

I keep seeing people say Jimmy G was similarly efficient with CMC and he…wasn’t?

— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) December 22, 2023

Purdy is having a magnificent season, and he is the strong favorite right now to win the regular season MVP award.

He has put up 3,795 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns on a 69.8 percent completion rate, and he’s either first or second in a number of categories.

However, there remains a narrative that he has been successful only because of star playmakers such as McCaffrey and the brilliant offensive mind of head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Yet Purdy has proven to be more effective in throwing the football beyond 15-20 yards than Garoppolo ever has, and he also makes quicker reads, especially when being pressured.

Purdy and the 49ers will be seriously tested on Christmas Day when they host the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL’s top scoring defense, but another strong performance and victory by Purdy could secure him the MVP award and help silence his critics.

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