49ers' Brock Purdy takes pleasure in getting last laugh over Patrick Peterson
Brock Purdy had a rye smile earlier this week when asked about Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson's prediction he would intercept the 49ers' quarterback Sunday's season opener. "We'll see," said Purdy after expressing his respect for the eight-time Pro Bowler. It didn't take long for Purdy to test Peterson and, not only did the former Cardinal […]
Brock Purdy had a rye smile earlier this week when asked about Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson's prediction he would intercept the 49ers' quarterback Sunday's season opener.
"We'll see," said Purdy after expressing his respect for the eight-time Pro Bowler.
It didn't take long for Purdy to test Peterson and, not only did the former Cardinal and Viking fail to make good on his prediction, he was beaten by 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk for both of San Francisco's passing touchdowns in a 30-7 rout.
And Purdy conceded to finding enjoyment in getting the last laugh over Peterson.
Asked if he knew it was Peterson in coverage for Aiyuk's first touchdown, Purdy told a post-game press conference:
"At first no, I wasn't thinking about any of that. The second TD, the deep ball, that one I was like alright that felt good."
Peterson was made to look silly on the first touchdown as a tremendous route by Aiyuk left him on the ground in the endzone.
There was nothing he could do about the second. Peterson had tight coverage on Aiyuk, but Purdy produced a perfectly placed back shoulder throw that negated his defense and put the 49ers up 17-0.
Peterson had claimed on the 'All Things Covered' podcast, that Purdy had "tells" the Steelers could exploit.
But they were not evident in Week 1 as he diced the Steelers up to the tune of 220 yards, his two scores and a passer rating of 111.3. Purdy, making his first regular-season appearance since undergoing elbow surgery, made NFL history by becoming the first quarterback to win his first six starts while throwing two touchdowns in each.
Nick Bosa said afterward that Purdy "shut some haters up", with a tremendously poised performance.
"Whenever a guy comes back from an injury, people don't expect him to make another leap in the second year," said Bosa. "I'm just happy for him, he's exactly who we thought he was."
After his failure to stop the Purdy-Aiyuk connection, Peterson may have a much greater appreciation for the talents of the San Francisco quarterback.
Key Takeaways as 49ers rout the Steelers in season opener
It was impressive in almost every area.
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