49ers injuries give Brock Purdy a chance to prove himself

All three players left the game last week when the Cleveland Browns shocked the NFL by handing Brock Purdy his first regular-season loss as an NFL quarterback.  

If this trio does end up missing the prime-time matchup with the 2-4 Vikings, this will be Purdy's first full chance to refute the theory that he's been made to look like a better quarterback than he is thanks to the explosive weapons around him. 

Things were ugly last week for Purdy, who went 12-for-27 with just 125 yards and one touchdown (to McCaffrey) and an interception. He spoke about his performance to ESPN after the loss to Cleveland. 

“I didn’t play at the standard that I needed to,” Purdy said. "We feel like we failed our own expectations. I just have to be better and make the throws. Man, it’s the NFL. When you get opportunities, you’ve got to take care of them. There are plays that we didn’t make.”

He shouldn't be judged too harshly for the showing. 

For one, McCaffrey and Williams entered the game healthy and prepared with Purdy throughout the week.  If they are unable to go this on Monday, at least head coach Kyle Shanahan and offensive coordinator Chris Foerster will have had a chance to prepare Purdy for the absences. 

For another, he was facing one of this season's best passing defenses in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns secondary has been stifling all season long, allowing the lowest completion percentage in the NFL and the fewest passing yards (365 fewer than second place Green Bay). They are also in a five-way tie for fewest passing touchdowns allowed. 

Purdy should have a much easier time throwing the ball against a Vikings pass defense that has allowed the second-highest completion percentage this season along with the eighth-most passing touchdowns. 

Even if McCaffrey, Samuel and Williams all miss Monday's game, expect WR Brandon Aiyuk, tight end George Kittle and fan-favorite full back Kyle Juszczyk to be able to pick up the slack on offense to help Purdy and San Francisco get back into the win column.