ESPN Projects Massive Brock Purdy Game in Week 2

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ESPN Projects Massive Brock Purdy Game in Week 2

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Sep 18, 2026 10:00 PM ET

Quarterback Brock Purdy ended the 2025 season playing good football and had a strong performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Now that he has a Miami Dolphins defense that looks vulnerable, all signs point to him having another massive game.

All Signs Point to Big Brock Purdy Game for San Francisco 49ers in Week 2

Seth Walder and Jake Moody of ESPN previewed the game for ESPN, and both see reasons for Purdy to excel.

Walder pointed to the 49ers' ability to protect Purdy in this game. The ESPN analytics guru suggests Purdy will not get touched by a Miami defender, let alone sacked.

The Dolphins won't record a single QB hit against Brock Purdy. The 49ers didn't allow the Rams to sack Purdy at all in Week 1. That means the Dolphins' pass rush, which made the Raiders' offensive line look great last week, should be a piece of cake.Seth Walder

Chop Robinson is the Dolphins' best pass rusher. He went from six sacks as a rookie to just four in his second NFL season. Josh Uche is their second pass rusher, and he has six sacks since 2023. Robert Beal is one of their depth options, and he could not even hang on to the 49ers roster, and they are thin at edge.

Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz make up one of the best tackle tandems in the NFL. It is easy to see why these rushers are going to struggle to get their hands on Purdy.

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Moody, who is ESPN’s fantasy guru, looks more to the 49ers' advantage at skill player when suggesting Purdy as a great start this week.

Purdy put up 21.1 fantasy points in Week 1 despite a tough matchup. Now he gets a Dolphins defense that allowed Raiders QB Kirk Cousins to throw for 160 yards and three touchdowns last week. With WR Mike Evans, RB Christian McCaffrey, and TE George Kittle around him, I expect another big game from Purdy. See Week 2 rankings.Eric Moody

Purdy is hot, and the Dolphins' defense has a porous secondary. Mike Evans was put back in the garage in Week 1 after a strong first half. He could produce more. The emergence of Kaelon Black has actually made Christian McCaffrey more dangerous as a pass catcher.

Kittle looked rusty in Week 1, but should continue to get back into playing shape. The Dolphins are a great team for him to brush off the rust against. It is easy to see why ESPN is so high on Purdy this week.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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