Brock Purdy entered Monday night’s prime time showdown against the Ravens as the prohibitive favorite to win the league’s MVP award. In the eyes of Vegas oddsmakers, he left it as not even the most valuable player on his own team.
The 49ers quarterback topped out as a -190 MVP favorite in the week leading up to San Francisco’s heavyweight matchup on Christmas Day. Against the top seed in the AFC, the 23-year-old put together his worst game as a pro, throwing four interceptions as Baltimore blew out the 49ers, 33-19.
According to Fanduel Sportsbook, Purdy now has +1300 odds at winning the MVP. He’s behind the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (-170), who sliced up San Francisco in Levi’s Stadium to become the favorite; 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (+470), and Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (+900). Purdy also has the same chance at winning MVP as Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence that his young quarterback will be able to bounce back from his clunker. But even Purdy sounded a bit shell-shocked following the game.
“I’ve got to ask myself, ‘Who are you?” Purdy said. “‘What do you stand for? Who are when things are good? Who are you when things don’t go your way?’ It’s easy to be riding high and thinking you’re the man, winning games and you really don’t have a lot of adversity in some games.”
Purdy still leads the NFL in QB Rating and QBR, statistics that measure passing efficiency. Even after the four-interception game, Purdy has 29 passing touchdowns — one shy of Dak Prescott’s league lead — and only seven picks.
Jackson moved into the top spot on the betting board by accounting for 295 yards of total offense plus two touchdowns against San Francisco. He did most of his damage outside the pocket, dancing away from pass rushers and finding receivers downfield.
On the year, Jackson has 10 fewer touchdown passes than Purdy and ranks eighth in QB Rating. But he also has ran for the 18th most yards (786) and five touchdowns, making him the most dangerous dual-threat quarterback in the league. The 2019 MVP has led Baltimore to the best record in the NFL with two games to play.
With the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers sidelined and Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes not having a dominating season, the MVP award has been more up in the air. The odds have fluctuated rapidly over the course of the season. But after Monday night, it seems like Purdy missed his chance to go from Mr. Irrelevant to MVP.