Brock Purdy looks for better success against the Seahawks defense this season

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy hasn't run into many road blocks early in his career with the San Francisco 49ers as he's been one of the game's most efficient passers as a seventh-round rookie in 2022.

That's what has made his struggles against Mike Macdonald's defenses so glaring, highlighted by the way last season ended with losses to the Seattle Seahawks in a Week 18 showdown for the NFC West title and two weeks later in a divisional round loss .

The 49ers were outscored 54-9 in those two games with their high-powered offense unable to reach the end zone even once on 19 offensive possessions.

Purdy and the Niners (4-0) get a chance to reverse that trend on Sunday when they visit the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks (3-1) for the first time this season.

“They did a really good job against us with out-physicaling us and getting to the ball fast and flying around and closing the windows in the pass game and stuff,” Purdy said Thursday. “They did a really good job with all that. Obviously, for me it sucked how last year ended and not getting in the end zone and scoring and stuff like that. So for sure went back and watched some stuff this offseason. Sort of just like, ‘All right, what was it? How could I have played better? And what did I need to do?’ Sort of just being hard on myself in that regard. But, every game is new.”

Purdy comes into this week's meeting on an impressive roll with a league-leading 126.2 passer rating, 11 touchdown passes just one interception and no sacks. Performing like that against the Macdonald and the Seahawks is the next test.

Purdy first faced Macdonald in 2023 when he was defensive coordinator in Baltimore and threw four interceptions in a Christmas night loss to the Ravens that season.

The two have squared off five times since then with Macdonald the head coach for the Seahawks with Purdy shining only in the first meeting when the Seahawks' defense was still being established.

He was held to 159 yards in a loss in the second meeting that season before overcoming two interceptions in the season opener last season to lead a late game-winning drive. Then came the two tough losses to end last season.

Purdy had a 64.9 passer rating in those two games, averaging a paltry 4.7 yards per attempts, dropping his career passer rating against Macdonald defenses to 75.8 — about 30 points lower than his mark against the rest of the league.

“You have to understand that there’s a nature to the defense you’re playing where there is a bend-but-don’t-break mentality for them where you got to be disciplined,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “Good quarterbacks got to find a way to balance those things out. When you look at teams who’ve had success against Seattle these past couple years, it’s guys like (Rams quarterback Matthew) Stafford. When Brock’s played good against them, it’s that. You get your shots when they’re there. You make the throw, but you’re patient when it’s not there and you keep playing.”

What makes the Seahawks so difficult to play against is that their front is so strong that they can stop the run without committing extra defenders. That allows them to keep their safeties deep to take away big plays.

Seattle has allowed the fewest explosive plays in the league since the start of last season, while also leading the league in yards per carry allowed.

“When they’re aggressive, they’re very rarely irresponsible,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. "It’s real tough to get big plays on them. I think they’ve been number one in the league two years in a row in that, whether it’s run or pass game. They make you work for everything down the field. Then they’ve got a lot of good players out there. When you have to take that many plays to go on a scoring drive, they’ve got a lot of guys that can create some stuff and make some bad stuff happen.”

The Seahawks know they are in for a challenge against Purdy as well with his improvement in the pocket this season a notable difference. Purdy has done a good job avoiding pressure when it comes and turning those into big plays either by scrambling or throwing it downfield.

He hasn't been sacked once — the first time in 21 seasons a team allowed no sacks in the first four games — as Purdy's ability to avoid negative plays has been key to success on offense this season.

“I’d have a hard time underrating him,” Macdonald said. "He’s a hell of a player. He can throw at all three levels. He throws on time. He throws it into windows with timing that makes it hard to defend. A big part of his game that he deserves a lot of credit is his competitiveness, his athleticism, and playmaking ability as the down extends.”

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