San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is heading into a tough game this Sunday, and his biggest opponent might not be the other team but rather the nasty weather predicted by forecasters. They’re calling for a mix of rain, snow, and wind, and Purdy hasn’t exactly shone in those conditions before. To make things even more challenging, Purdy has decided not to wear gloves on his throwing hand. It’s a bit of a risky move, but he’s sticking to his routine. While speaking to the media prior to the week 13 game, he said,

“I’ve played in rain before, and I’ve made it happen before and gotten the job done before, so I’m not going to be afraid or change anything in terms of my preparation going into the week.”

Well, what makes this move risky is that his excellent 105.1 passer rating in good weather drops dramatically to 64.8 when it rains. His scoring efficiency (measured by EPA per dropback) plunges from a positive 0.22 in clear conditions to a negative -0.30 in the rain.

He’s had a rough time in bad-weather games, with a record of 1 win and 3 losses in rain or snow. That includes a game last year in Cleveland where he completed only 44% of his passes and struggled with ball security. Even his lone win, a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, saw him post a modest 86.7 passer rating.

Purdy is old-school about his grip. He never wore a glove in college and only tried one once in the NFL, during the very first drive of that playoff game against the Packers, before quickly taking it off.

49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan is aware of the situation. He told the team to expect terrible conditions and even showed them videos of a blizzard game the Cleveland Browns played last year to prepare them mentally.

While Shanahan is letting Purdy choose on the glove, he did mention his personal belief:

“I always personally believe if you know you’re going to do something on Sunday, and it’s going to be different, then you want to practice with it… It’s not like me suggesting to a middle school kid how to handle his first element game. You know, (NFL) guys have an idea of what they’re comfortable with, what they want to do.”

Purdy is clearly comfortable going without the glove, but this Sunday’s weather test will show if that confidence can overcome his past struggles. Especially as he comes out of his latest injury.

Brock Purdy says that his toe injury is fine before week 13’s game

The San Francisco 49ers are feeling good after their Week 12 win against the Carolina Panthers, but quarterback Brock Purdy had a rough outing. He’s got a big chance to bounce back this Sunday.  Purdy was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to NBC Sports’ Josh Alper. This is a big step, as he missed six games earlier in the season with a troublesome turf toe injury.

However, Purdy’s performance against the Panthers looked shaky. He finished the game 23-of-32 for 193 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. After the game, Purdy owned up to his mistakes, admitting it was about poor execution.

“The decision of going to those spots I was fine with,” Purdy said. “It’s just the execution of throwing a better ball. I feel like, really, on all of them, I needed to just drive the ball a little more, and I kept it in the air too long.”

Reporters wondered if his toe was still bothering him, but Purdy shut down those rumors, stating clearly:

“No, toe is fine. Feels good out there. It’s really just seeing the play develop, anticipating it, and letting it rip at the end of the day. So it had nothing to do with the toe.” (via the San Francisco Chronicle)

His full practice participation is a great sign that he’s physically ready. Now, all eyes are on his Week 13 game to see if he can truly shake off the rust and prove the interceptions were just a fluke, putting his toe injury firmly behind him.

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