Brock Purdy was a long way from his best in the San Francisco 49ers' Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and the challenge he faces is about to get harder.
Purdy and the 49er offense thrived in the season-opening win over the New York Jets without Christian McCaffrey, but the absence of the reigning Offensive Player of the Year was more noticeable as San Francisco went two of 10 on third down and two of four in the red zone in last Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Now, in addition to being without McCaffrey, who could be out for much longer than the four games he must spend on injured reserve with a calf injury and Achilles tendinitis, Purdy will also not have Deebo Samuel at his disposal.
Wideout Samuel had a 100-yard game in Week 2 but is set to be out for a couple of weeks with a calf strain.
Deprived of the two most diverse playmakers in the NFL, the coming weeks present an opportunity for Purdy to answer the critics who claim he is purely a product of Kyle Shanahan's system and the talent around him.
He will still have All-Pros out there in the form of Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, and 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young believes being without McCaffrey and Samuel could ultimately help Purdy in the long run this year.
"If they're going to stay with the same plan, then the demand for Brock is even greater," Young old Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask on the "What the Football" podcast.
"He has to be even more honed on his efficiency to find players that aren't necessarily [at] the top of the game like Deebo, the top of the game like CMC. And now I've got to figure out how to get the ball to them, have them get open.
"Inevitably ... he's going to have to do more. He's going to have to move around more. He's going to have to put himself at risk more, and he's going to have to do things that aren't necessarily his strong suit, and that might provide great things in the future for when they get the Super Bowl this year and have to face Patrick Mahomes or face Lamar Jackson.
"The thing about the 49ers, when they face Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, any big, strong, prototypical quarterback today, they lose. So getting their guy more like that, and under duress, like with injuries, might be a good thing."
Purdy and the 49ers will renew acquaintances with Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 in a rematch of February's Super Bowl, which saw San Francisco lose in overtime.
Before that contest, the 49ers need to ensure the injuries do not play a role in a hiccup turning into a very bumpy start for San Francisco. If Purdy is on top form by the time the Niners welcome the Chiefs to Levi's Stadium, we'll have a good indication that Young's bold claim was, in fact, correct.
