When asked if he gave Purdy any advice or a message after the picks, McCaffrey said he kept quiet. He explained that if he makes a mistake and someone tells him to “catch the ball,” it just makes him want to punch them, so he didn’t want to say anything to Purdy in that moment.
This approach makes sense, McCaffrey is a player who knows what it’s like to mess up during a game, and he understands that offering well-meaning advice might not help and could even irritate a teammate. Plus, as a running back, he’s not the one dropping back to pass, so he’s not in the best position to critique Purdy’s throws.
Purdy will definitely have to tighten up his ball security if the 49ers want to make a deep playoff run, but they have a strong running game and defense to pick up the slack if needed. It’s probably best for everyone just to keep their heads cool and focus on the team game rather than pointing fingers after errors.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan also defended Purdy, saying the interceptions came from just being a little late on some throws, which allowed defenders to capitalize. Shanahan praised Purdy for making good decisions even if the execution wasn’t perfect. Meanwhile, McCaffrey’s calm and understanding stance about Purdy’s mistakes shows the kind of supportive team culture the 49ers are trying to maintain as they push toward the playoffs.