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49ers start 6-0

Sports · Heat 1.5 / 10 · 2 shows · 1h 13m airtime

The 49ers beat the Commanders on October 19, 2026 to reach 6-0, leading 23-3 before Washington closed late. The discussion has moved from whether Brock Purdy is a product of Kyle Shanahan's system to where he ranks among quarterbacks outright. He tops a weekly MVP ballot and Mahomes Mountain for the first time, trails only Josh Allen when a play breaks down, and joins Tom Brady as the only QBs to start 6-0 with 15 or more touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions. The system-versus-talent split remains unresolved, and one show has him second in MVP odds rather than the leader.

How 2 podcasts covered it

  1. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-13 (32:24 to 36:22)
    Adds RG3's MVP vote and Evans's signing
    Argues Purdy's rise from last pick to MVP co-favorite comes down to processing speed and maturity, and adds two on-the-record items: RG3 has Purdy first in his MVP conversation, and Mike Evans signed with San Francisco because he believed in Purdy.
    New angle: RG3 has Brock Purdy first in his MVP conversation, and Mike Evans signed with the 49ers because he believed in Purdy.
  2. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-14 (25:36 to 29:37)
    Argues ownership spending off the 6-0 start
    Uses the 49ers' 6-0 start as a springboard into ownership spending, arguing San Francisco and Philadelphia scout better than Cincinnati or Arizona. Drew Brees praises Purdy's fundamentals and Colin predicts a Bills-49ers Super Bowl. Reaction and prediction, not a new development.
  3. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-17 (42:36 to 45:18)
    Explains Purdy's leap as year five
    Eli Manning explains Purdy's leap as year five in the same offense with the same play-caller, plus better scrambling and a supporting cast of Williams, Kittle, Samuel, McCaffrey and Shanahan. Analysis of the 6-0 start, not a new development in it.
  4. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-19 (16:35 to 18:40)
    Previews the Monday night game and Purdy's MVP odds
    Pregame segment ahead of the Monday night Commanders game. Shanahan's Matt Ryan comparison draws a Mahomes processing comparison from Cowherd, and the staff's MVP odds put Purdy second rather than first.
    New angle: Purdy is second in MVP odds, per the staff, not the leader.
  5. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-20 (0:50 to 5:19)
    Argues Purdy now drives the offense
    Argues Purdy has flipped from beneficiary to driver of the 49ers offense, leaning on a breakdown stat that ranks only Josh Allen ahead of him, and plays Purdy's postgame comments calling the win a team effort.
    New angle: Only Josh Allen ranks ahead of Brock Purdy statistically when a play breaks down.
  6. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-20 (5:47 to 10:50)
    Critiques Quinn's clock management
    Uses the 49ers' win over Washington as a springboard into a critique of Dan Quinn's clock management, Jayden Daniels not knowing the down and a burned timeout with a stopped clock. The 49ers result is background; the segment stays inside opinion about the Commanders' coaching.
  7. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-20 (11:02 to 12:06)
    Predicts an Atlanta upset amid receiver injuries
    Runs through the 49ers' receiver injuries and McCaffrey's workload, then predicts an Atlanta upset on Sunday. The 26 touches are already on the record; the rest is injury speculation and a pick.
  8. First Things First, 2026-10-20 (43:27 to 48:29)
    Unveils the weekly MVP ballot
    Brou unveils his weekly MVP ballot with Purdy at number one after the passer-rating record, and the panel argues over Dallas Turner and Kenneth Walker's placement. The ballot itself is a new artifact, but the Purdy case stays inside the numbers already on the record.
    New angle: Purdy tops Brou's weekly MVP ballot, with Kenneth Walker second and Josh Allen third.
  9. First Things First, 2026-10-20 (50:38 to 1:00:03)
    Puts Purdy atop Mahomes Mountain
    Reveals the weekly Mahomes Mountain rankings and puts Purdy on top for the first time, ahead of Mahomes, after Mahomes threw an end-zone interception. Frames it as earned rather than a bye-week default, tying it to Purdy becoming the all-time passer rating leader.
    New angle: Brock Purdy sits atop Mahomes Mountain for the first time, with Patrick Mahomes second.
  10. First Things First, 2026-10-20 (1:00:03 to 1:09:54)
    Pushes back on Purdy's top ranking
    Long segment on the Mahomes Mountain rankings. Coach pushes back on Purdy's top spot by citing the 78-yard second half, and Brou argues Kirk Cousins should move up; it stays inside the rankings debate already on the record.
  11. First Things First, 2026-10-20 (1:43:57 to 1:55:10)
    Adds Purdy's 6-0 line matching Brady
    Runs the weekly Top Ten Tuesday countdown with the 49ers at number one, and puts a new line on Purdy: he and Tom Brady are the only quarterbacks to start 6-0 with 15 or more touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions. The rest is ranking debate around the Chiefs, Bills and Seahawks.
    New angle: Purdy and Tom Brady are the only QBs to start 6-0 with 15 or more touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions.
  12. First Things First, 2026-10-27 (40:52 to 47:28)
    Keeps Purdy first but reshuffles the ballot
    Brou's weekly ballot keeps Purdy at No. 1 after a rough game against the Falcons, but the order behind him changes: JSN returns at five on a 2,000-yard pace, Joe Burrow jumps to three, Goff to two, and Kenneth Walker drops to four.
    New angle: Brou's new ballot: Purdy first, Goff second, Burrow third, Walker fourth, JSN fifth.
  13. First Things First, 2026-10-27 (50:38 to 58:23)
    Drops Purdy a row on Mahomes Mountain
    Runs the weekly Mahomes Mountain rankings and drops Purdy to row two after his two interceptions against the Falcons, leaving the top spot vacant for the first time this year.
    New angle: The top spot on Mahomes Mountain is vacant for the first time this year.
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