For Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers, Monday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens made for a pretty wicked Christmas night.
It was the Niners' first double-digit loss in nearly two months, and they failed to secure the NFC's top overall seed. Purdy might also have slipped from the MVP race as a result.
But those failures also presented learning opportunities -- especially for Purdy.
"It's huge for me," Purdy said Thursday, via the Mercury News. "There was the build up for it being a big game on Christmas and on Monday Night Football, and it was a big game."
Purdy threw four interceptions in the game and left with a stinger, replaced late by Sam Darnold. What hurt just as much is that the 49ers appeared to control the game in the early going before the turnovers put them at a severe disadvantage.
Purdy was hard on himself immediately after the game, even if the interceptions weren't necessarily all his fault. Now that he's had time to reflect on the game, Purdy said he must balance aggression with smarts, especially in high-leverage situations against quality opponents.
"There's a fine line (between) ripping something that's tight-window or tight-contested, but at the same time being smart with where the game is at," he said. "I've played in enough games where I understand when I can be aggressive and take a shot or (when I should) check it down.
"It's a situational thing. It's where I have to grow and bank on experiences I've gone through. Being a quarterback in the NFL, you have to take chances and risks into windows at the right time, and that's what I'm learning right now."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted Purdy to be less aggressive on the first interception, which cost his team early points because there wasn't a
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