Jarrett Stidham enters first NFL start ‘confident’ in his abilities

4. Purdy tested against the “unique style” of star edge rusher

The San Francisco 49ers have been rolling with Brock Purdy at quarterback, who as a rookie, is still getting his feet wet.

Purdy was the last pick taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, and will see his fourth start this Sunday. The quarterback has stepped up in a big way amid injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, throwing 846 yards and eight touchdowns in his last four games.

“I think he’s a good young quarterback,” said Clelin Ferrell. “Obviously, he stepped into the role with Jimmy G getting hurt and he’s come in and been really, really good for them. And obviously, they’re a playoff team so they’re rallying behind him. So we’ve got to go in there, we’ve got to be ready to handle anything he brings to us.”

While the Raiders defense has respect for Purdy, the 49ers quarterback has respect for Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby. “The Condor” has been on a tear this season, among the league leaders in tackles for loss and sacks at his position.

“Maxx Crosby is really good on the edge,” Brock Purdy told reporters. “So whenever they have a player like that that you have to focus on, they can do a lot of other different things that you can sometimes slip up and not be ready for in terms of what they do with their secondary and their backers and whatnot.”