Programming note: Watch Matt Maiocco’s full interview with John Lynch on “49ers Game Plan,” airing at 9:30 p.m. PT Friday.

Brock Purdy is coming off a shaky start in the 49ers’ 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night, but general manager John Lynch is confident as ever in San Francisco’s starting quarterback.

During this week’s episode of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan,” Lynch told Matt Maiocco why past precedent provides him with conviction in his belief Purdy will rebound when San Francisco faces the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

“I expect him to do just that, bounce back. I think back to 2023 against Baltimore, on a Monday night, he had a rough game with four interceptions,” Lynch told Maiocco. “I think the following week we went to Washington and he played a really aggressive, efficient game where he was clean with the ball. So, we’ve seen Brock in a very similar situation. I think the bigger challenge for Brock is not what happened last week, it’s who he’s facing this week against a really good defense in Cleveland.

“I think we’ve faced some really good fronts, like Houston. But Cleveland probably takes it a notch further because the back end is so good. They each present challenges, but then the [weather] elements as well. So could be some challenges that are bigger than what happened last week, because Brock has proven to be able to bounce back fairly well.”

Purdy threw three first-half interceptions against the Panthers, the second time he has committed at least three turnovers under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football.” As Lynch noted, Purdy threw four interceptions in the 49ers’ 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 of the 2023 season, a prime-time performance that left plenty of doubters questioning his ability. Sound familiar?

The good news for Lynch and Co. is that Purdy followed that abysmal performance against the Ravens with one of his best games as a pro when the 49ers faced the Washington Commanders the following week. Purdy completed 22 of his 28 passing attempts (78.6 completion percentage) for 230 yards, two touchdowns and a 124.7 passer rating in San Francisco’s 27-10 win over Washington.

So what does Lynch believe is the best path to Purdy having a repeat bounce-back performance this time around? It all starts with trusting the scheme, something Lynch is confident Purdy did even as he struggled on Monday night against the Panthers.

“Play within the scheme,” Lynch said. “I think the encouraging thing, if you want to look for positives. He went to the right place with the ball against Carolina, it just sometimes was a little late to where he was going and didn’t throw the ball the way he should’ve thrown it or wanted to throw it. I think those things are very fixable. I think where you really worry is, ‘Oh shoot, he’s not seeing it right. He’s going the wrong place in the read. On any of those that wasn’t the case.

“He was just probably a little late and needs to be a bit more decisive. Sometimes that can come from not playing for a little while but he has got to fix it, he knows that and we’ve got all the confidence in the world he will.”

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