Patrick Peterson had the 'opportunity' for two interceptions after calling his shot
When you predict that you’ll haul in an interception, you better make the most of the opportunities. Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson was unable to do that in Pittsburgh’s 30-7 loss to San Francisco on Sunday.
In the All Things Covered podcast, Peterson said he’d haul in an interception because of the 49ers’ tendencies offensively. But the newest addition to the Steelers secondary failed to make a play.
Still, Peterson insisted that he had the opportunities. He just didn’t make the play.
“No, it was there. I had an opportunity to get two picks, I just didn’t grab them in. But credit to those guys, those guys did a great job of sticking to their game plan and really getting into their identity,” Peterson said, per Pro Football Talk. “We just weren’t in a good enough position to make those plays.”
So, not only did Peterson fail to live up to his guarantee, the Steelers also suffered an embarrassing loss in Week 1. Plus, there was some insult to injury.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk, who was covered by Peterson. The second-year quarterback took a bit of a jab at the defender after the game.
“The second touchdown on the right side, the deep ball, was that on Patrick Peterson?” Purdy asked. “Yeah, that one, I was like, ‘Alright, that felt good.’ But, it was good. He’s a competitor. I’ve got nothing but respect for Patrick Peterson and everything that he does.”
Purdy, now 6-0 as a starting quarterback in the NFL, had little issue with Pittsburgh’s defense on Sunday. He completed 19-of-29 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Christian McCaffrey eviscerated the Steelers, rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He added three catches for 17 more yards.
Brock Purdy makes NFL history
It hasn’t taken Purdy long to make NFL history. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the former Iowa State standout became the first quarterback in league history to win each of his first six starts in the regular season, while throwing at least two touchdown passes in each game.
As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also the first QB in NFL history with a passer rating of 95 or higher in each of his first six starts. Not bad for a former third-string quarterback.
It’s been quite the journey for the young quarterback, going from “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2022 NFL Draft to setting league records. Could he be the next Tom Brady?
OK, it’s probably too early to make that comparison.