The San Francisco 49ers have endured a ton of hardships this season. With the many injuries this team has suffered this season, any other team would have folded weeks ago. Yet, the 49ers stood tall, earning a 6-4 record after ten weeks.
Now, the skies might be finally clearing up for the 49ers. After numerous setbacks this season, Brock Purdy made his return to the field in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals. Purdy balled out in his first game back, completing 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 200 yards and throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. That led to a comfortable 41-22 win over the Cardinals, despite Jacoby Brissett's historic game.
What does Purdy's return mean for the 49ers? Well, based on the Cardinals game, it does seem like San Francisco is headed for a playoff berth once again. Let's break down the 49ers' upcoming schedule and their path to the playoffs.
49ers' road to the playoffs
The good thing that the 49ers have going for them is their schedule for the rest of the season. For one, San Francisco still has their bye week coming up in Week 14. That's an extra week for the 49ers to get even healthier as the season goes on. It also gives one extra week for their injured stars, like Brandon Aiyuk, to recuperate.
The 49ers also have a relatively easy schedule coming up. The teams that they'll be facing, in order, are the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Note the lack of divisional games in this schedule, save for that Week 18 matchup against the Seahawks. They've already played most of their division rivals this season, going 4-1 against the NFC West. Their lone divisional loss is against the Los Angeles Rams last week, where they lost 42-26. Divisional games are always tougher than they seem, so getting them out of the way for the home stretch is in the 49ers' favor.
The rest of their games this season are also relatively easy. On paper, they face three teams that have a record above .500. However, the Panthers have been maddeningly inconsistent, and the Bears' wins haven't been convincing blowouts. The veteran 49ers should be favored over them and the Browns and Titans.
That leaves the Colts and the Seahawks as the two big “challengers” that the 49ers will face in the final third of their campaign. The Colts have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season, thanks in large part to Jonathan Taylor's monstrous efforts. That being said, the 49ers have been one of the better teams in terms of run defense this year, ranking 12th in yards allowed on the ground.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, pose a tougher challenge for the 49ers on paper. Their run game is all but non-existent, but they have one of the most potent passing offenses in the league. Facing off against San Francisco's porous pass defense (28th in passing yards allowed), Seattle have a fighting chance of winning.
The Brock Purdy effect for the 49ers
What does Purdy bring back to the table for the 49ers? The 49ers were still winning without Purdy, thanks in large part to Mac Jones' efforts. Thrust into a starting role, Jones played the role of a game manager to perfection. The former first-round pick didn't throw too many bad passes, and he took what the defense gave him.
That gave the 49ers a high floor, especially since they have a ton of great weapons who can create off the catch. However, it also put a clear limitation on what the 49ers' ceiling is. Jones was never a good deep-ball passer, and Kyle Shanahan made sure not to put him in situations where he needed to air it out. That issue would have limited their chances against better teams.
Purdy, on the other hand, is an adept deep-ball threat, sometimes to his own detriment. The 49ers quarterback isn't as risk-averse as his backup, but that fearlessness is backed up with a good arm and good accuracy. Purdy's first touchdown throw back from injury is a fade route for George Kittle that was placed perfectly in front of the tight end. That's a throw that Jones would have struggled to make.
Purdy can still process the field well and take the checkdowns as needed. His familiarity with the Kyle Shanahan offense puts him at a high floor. However, his confidence to attempt those home-run plays and his ability to make these throws makes the 49ers a scarier threat than they already are this season.
