For the most part, Brock Purdy played well in the San Francisco 49ers' Week 16 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

That was until his team needed him to lead a drive to win the game. 

Though there was nothing riding on proceedings at Hard Rock Stadium after results in the early window eliminated San Francisco from playoff contention, the Niners still wanted to respond after seeing their season slip away. 

But their chances at a morale-boosting win were also effectively extinguished with two minutes to play in the fourth quarter when Purdy, with the chance to give the Niners a lead, was intercepted on a throw over the middle by Kader Kohou.

Explaining the interception after a 29-17 loss, Purdy said: "I was trying to layer it over that defender for Ricky [Pearsall] and I just got hit and throw the ball that I really wanted to and the guy go it."

While the hit clearly affected the throw, Purdy's inability to avoid a backbreaking play is magnified by the situation in which the Niners found themselves.

San Francisco had the ball in good field position at their own 47-yard line and with all three of their timeouts. In other words, the 49ers had plenty of time to calmly move down the field while protecting the ball. 

Purdy did the opposite, ruining an otherwise composed display in which he excelled at getting the ball in the hands of George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. Kittle went for 106 yards, while Samuel had 121 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in one of his best games of a down year.

And, as talks over what most expect to be a lucrative contract extension between Purdy and the 49ers loom on the horizon, it was another error that makes those negotiations more difficult.

Purdy was in a tough spot in a game that saw two members of an already banged-up offensive line leave as both Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore, filling in for Trent Williams at left tackle, suffered injuries.

The 49ers were down to their fourth-string running back with Patrick Taylor Jr. starting amid a hamstring injury to Isaac Guerendo. Purdy finished as the Niners' leading rusher with just 26 yards.

On top of that, Purdy cannot be blamed for the costly errors of those around him, particularly a second illegal formation penalty on Pearsall that wiped out a perfect pass from Purdy to Samuel that put the 49ers on the Miami two-yard line with the chance to take a 17-16 lead. Jake Moody subsequently missed a field goal as the drive stalled and the Dolphins then went up 19-10 on the subsequent series.

But Purdy sets standards for himself and, by his own admission, he is not meeting them.

"My mindset is it doesn't matter who's out there, we have what it takes to win and put up points," added Purdy. 

"That's why I'm hard on myself. I know that I'm capable of pulling through and winning these kind of games, regardless of who's out there. In the moment, I've just got to be better and take what the defense gives me and continue to build guys up as we go."

In the last two games, Purdy hasn't risen to the moment. 

With their playoff future essentially on the line against the Los Angeles Rams last week, Purdy spurned the chance to lead a fourth-quarter go-ahead drive, missing an open Pearsall on a potential touchdown and then tossing a key interception two plays later.

This week, in a very similar situation, he came up short again with a key error.

He was not the sole reason why the 49ers suffered another defeat but, unlike last year, Purdy is not elevating those around him and is consistently making mistakes that are directly contributing to losses. 

The reality is that the Niners will likely come to terms on a contract with Purdy but, as a disappointing year comes to a close, he is making it tougher for the 49ers to countenance paying him top of market money and tougher for his representatives to demand it.

George Kittle surpasses Rob Gronkowski as 49ers tight end makes NFL history in first half against Dolphins

He’s still adding to his superb resume.