Kittle shares hilarious comparison of Purdy's scrambling ability

Kittle shares hilarious comparison of Purdy's scrambling ability originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Brock Purdy ripped his "game manager" label to shreds in the 49ers' 34-31 comeback win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, and he used his legs to do so.

The second-year quarterback was able to get out of the pocket and rush for 48 yards in San Francisco's NFC Championship Game victory on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, something 49ers tight end George Kittle would like to see more of, delivering the perfect comparison for Purdy's scrambling ability.

"Sick! Do it more. What are we doing? Just don't get hit," Kittle told reporters after the win. "Scramble! Maybe tuck the ball a little faster, but he scampers. Ever seen one of the water dragons run across the water? That's what I envision every time he's running with the football.

"But he does a really good job of avoiding contact, he dives into areas. He can slide once in a while. He's a tough kid. A lot of grit to him. He understands when he's playing at a high level when he needs to play at a high level, everyone around him is better."

And that rang true Sunday when it mattered most.

Purdy's scrambling ability helped complete San Francisco's thrilling comeback win after trailing Detroit by 17 points at halftime.

To 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, it made all the difference in pulling out the win.

"I thought it was the difference between winning and losing," Shanahan said. "He made some big plays with his legs, getting out of the pocket, moving the chains on some first downs, some explosives. He competed his ass off today. Wasn't easy of any of us. He kept grinding, was unbelievable there in the second half."

Per Next Gen Stats, Purdy converted three first downs on scrambles and completed 3-of-4 passes for 41 yards and three first downs on passes when he scrambled outside the pocket.

Purdy said he didn't pre-determine his savvy scrambling showing, but he did what he needed to do to put the team on his back and lead.

"We had seen some stuff on film where quarterbacks were able to make some plays with their legs," Purdy said on "49ers Postgame Live." "But it wasn't something going into the game where I was going to be like, 'Alright I'm going to look to Jauan and then run.' It's just really how the game went.

"They had a good plan for pressure and some of the gaps opened up for me. Especially in the second half, I was like I got to do what it takes to move the chains and bring some juice, some momentum into this team. That was the mindset really the whole game."

Purdy's legs will take him and his squad to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas for a chance to secure the franchise's sixth Lombardi Trophy with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

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