Why Brock Purdy will be the 49ers' Potential Hero this Week

Last week, I predicted that Javon Hargrave would be the hero in an inevitable 49ers victory over the Vikings. Instead, the 49ers lost, and Hargrave had no sacks. Oops.

This week, I vow to do better. So I'm picking quarterback Brock Purdy as the 49ers' potential hero. That doesn't mean the 49ers will win -- I'm not sure they will. But if they do, Purdy will have to play extremely well, much better than he has the past two weeks.

Remember, Purdy was on fire through the first five games. In that span, his completion percentage was 67.9, his TD-INT ratio was 9-0 and his passer rating was 123.1 -- he seemed like a legitimate MVP candidate even though the season was young.

Since then, Purdy's production has tanked. In the past two games -- both losses -- Purdy's completion percentage was 57.9, his TD-INT ratio was 2-3 and his passer rating was 69.1. He was a liability. And now he's coming off a concussion. He didn't have a full practice this week that wasn't a walkthrough, so how effective will be if he plays? Keep in mind, he hasn't passed the final stage of the concussion protocol yet, although the 49ers expect him to clear it today.

Quarterbacks don't always play their best right away after a concussion. Purdy suffered his on Monday, meaning not even a full week ago. And he wasn't playing so well before the concussion.

This week, he has to face a Bengals defense that has allowed a passer rating of just 79.7 this season. So Purdy most likely will decide the outcome of the game. If he steps up against a good pass defense, the 49ers probably will win. But if he continues to struggle as he has the past two weeks, the 49ers probably will lose.

And if Purdy loses a third game in a row, he certainly could lose his job during the bye week. That would be the perfect time to prepare Sam Darnold to start.

Big week for Purdy.