How the Cowboys Prepared Brock Purdy for the Eagles
Brock #Brock
As struggling of a win it was, the Cowboys actually helped the 49ers and Brock Purdy when they face off versus the Eagles in the NFC championship.
It was an incredible defensive battle between the 49ers and the Cowboys in the Divisional playoff game.
Both defenses made it extremely difficult on the opposing offense. The 49ers ended up pulling through in the end to win the game when their offense finally was able to wear down the Dallas defense. Now, the 49ers will have to go from one elite defense to another in the Eagles when they face off in the NFC championship game. Talk about a strenuous two-game stretch.
Philadelphia, like Dallas, are the top pass rush win rate defense. They have Pro Bowl and All Pro talent throughout their defensive line. Meanwhile, the 49ers are coming off of a game where Brock Purdy was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks, which is the most he’s faced in any game. This matchup against the Eagles is poised to be another struggle for Purdy and the 49ers offense.
However, facing the Cowboys will prove to be helpful for Purdy and the 49ers when they face the lethal Eagles defense.
In the Divisional playoff game, the 49ers had not faced a dominant defense like the Cowboys before. A lot of that experience was brand new to them. They had not been tested like that where they were entrenched in a deadlock with a defense. Field goals was all the offense was managing for most of the game. It was tough to generate explosive plays or even get the ground game going with a stacked box. Not to mention that the Cowboys’ pass rush didn’t give Purdy many chances to deliver strikes for the majority of the game.
The Eagles will be similar to that. Now that the 49ers have gotten a look at how it is to face such a stout pass rush, they can figure out how to circumvent it. As the saying goes, “iron sharpens iron” so the hope is that the 49ers got better in some facet by facing such a fierce defense like the Cowboys. It should help them when they go into Philadelphia and make them feel more battle tested. On the other side of the spectrum, the Eagles are coming off a game where they destroyed the Giants. Call me crazy, but I am pretty sure the Niners defense is exponentially better than them. There could be a reality check for the Eagles to start off the game or a stretch where they can’t operate.
Another thing that will aid the 49ers offense, specifically Purdy, is the overall speed of the opposition. The Cowboys were FLYING all over the place. Pairing that along with an effective pass rush made it a tough adjustment. Purdy shouldn’t be surprised by it when he faces the Eagles. The internal clock to get rid of the ball or scramble needs to be an emphasis for him. And then there is also the hope that after facing such a fast defense, that he starts to view things a little slower when he goes against Philadelphia. Easier said than done of course, but at least he’s gotten that test beforehand to soften the tough look he will face.
The 49ers will be in for the game of their lives. Being on the road in the east coast against a valiant team is their toughest NFC championship matchup since 2013 against the Seahawks in Seattle. Should they win this game, they must send a “thank you” letter to the Cowboys for helping them be better prepared.