On Thanksgiving, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy sealed a win over their bitter division rival Seattle Seahawks when he completed a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the fourth quarter. The pass gave the 49ers a 31-13 lead, which erased any slim hopes of a Seahawks comeback in the final minutes.

The touchdown wasn't just great because it gave the 49ers a lead, but because the pass was perfect. On a pass that was initially designed to be a checkdown, Purdy instead opted to throw deep to Aiyuk. As Boye Mafe began to close in, Purdy launched a pass perfectly between four Seahawks defenders and into the arms of Aiyuk, who took the ball into the end zone.

Following the game, Purdy broke down the play. “So we sorta had a rollout, setup play and I just went through my progression. I felt the safety come down on the right side just enough for BA to get behind him and I ripped it,” Brock Purdy said. “Obviously looking back, there’s a guy open underneath on the checkdown that was open, too, that would’ve been a big gain and for us to eat the clock up and stuff. But went through the progression, trusted in BA being there and just let it rip,” via The Athletic's Tim Kawakami.

Meanwhile, coach Kyle Shanahan was nervous watching the pass float through the air. “Oh yeah, we’re all holding our breath as soon as he lets it go ’cause (Diggs) was so deep,” Shanahan said. “But Brock’s got some touch and he was able to throw it over him. We took the safety out of there with a route, so he knew if he could get over him there was no one else left. He made the throw.”

Aiyuk kept his breakdown simple, saying “That was called a dot,” via NBC Sports Bay Area.

 

 

The touchdown was just the latest great Purdy throw as he has the 49ers on a three-game winning streak. After receiving criticism for his lack of arm strength and being a product of the talent around him, Purdy continues to prove each week that he belongs.