“Steve Spagnuolo Is the Same DC Who Held Tom Brady”: Brock Purdy Receives Moral Support Amid Growing Criticism

The journey from being Mr. Irrelevant to being the star face of the NFL, Brock Purdy came a long way. But a Super Bowl loss against the Chiefs came as the setback he didn’t expect. It was the third consecutive Super Bowl loss that the franchise faced. And the second consecutive loss against Patrick Mahomes and Co. The second time that Mahomes’ offense outplayed Purdy’s. Per Yahoo Sports, the problem was with the pass protection, as right guard Spencer Burford went the wrong direction and did not block his man, defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Well, it was Steve Spagnuolo’s defense after all, the DC who orchestrated the downfall of the legendary Patriots after their pristine 18-0 season in 2003, by defeating them in the ultimate showdown, the Super Bowl XLII with a cutthroat 17-14 competition at the Phoenix Stadium. The very same DC who reportedly had to “spy” on Brock Purdy to make a comeback against them in the 2024 Super Bowl. While it is not as magnanimous of a win as the Super Bowl, it’s a statement coming from one of the most legendary defense coordinators in the books of the NFL.

Spagnuolo adjusted to the situation rapidly, following the Death Star of an offense of the 49ers. Chiefs made their fronts more aggressive, steadily increasing the pressure on Brock Purdy. This not only limited the Niners’ running angles but also attacked the biggest weakness of the 49ers — their suspect protection schemes. The corollary of it: The Chiefs defense generated a season-high 9 unblocked pressures in Super Bowl LVIII, all of which came on blitzes, per Next Gen Stats.

A master trap from the grandmaster. Yet, Brock Purdy and Co. fought back till the last minute of overtime, falling short of only 3 points against the Chiefs. This is a solid rock in Purdy’s corner when the dejected 49ers fans across the world are acclaiming the QB a little too harshly.

What the critics say about Brock Purdy

Right after the Super Bowl loss, fans started hurling all sorts of names and insults at Brock Purdy, a fate that popular entities like Purdy often succumb to. However, the name that stood out, or rather was the most repeated this season was that of ‘the game manager’, the ultimate rock bottom among all the other criticisms.

READ ALSO: “Played Well Enough”: Kurt Warner Vindicates Brock Purdy’s Super Bowl LVIII Performance Amidst 49ers’ Curious Decision Making

Even Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe has expressed his disappointment in Purdy. But he has been doing that since the season started. Sharpe compared Purdy to another QB that he passionately criticizes, Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. Despite all this, Sharpe, as well as every other analyst speaking against Purdy knows that QBs don’t get better or worse overnight.

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