PHILADELPHIA – Brock Purdy didn’t want a lot of a reminder that this was the place his unbelievable rookie run got here to an finish, his elbow in tatters, the dream of a Tremendous Bowl look dashed by a 31-7 throttling within the 2022 NFC championship recreation.
“It was form of on my thoughts,” the San Francisco 49ers quarterback mentioned. “Yeah, I acquired harm right here. That was this yr.”
What a distinction lower than 12 months could make.
The 49ers overcame a gradual begin Sunday to blow out the Philadelphia Eagles 42-19 to precise their much-anticipated revenge from final season’s postseason. These two groups being the highest contenders within the NFC is one thing that hasn’t modified since that late January matchup, however the Niners dominated within the rematch.
“I believe our staff did a extremely good job of dealing with the noise – each within the stadium and (the media) making it an even bigger deal than it was,” Niners tight finish George Kittle (4 catches, 68 yards) instructed USA TODAY Sports activities. “I believe the most important a part of it was they’re the one seed and we’re enjoying catch-up. So to come back in right here and get a win was big for us.”
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Offensively, the primary quarter for the Niners couldn’t have gone worse. They ran six performs over the course of consecutive three-and-outs. Purdy appeared disrupted. Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick reintroduced himself with a sack on the second snap Purdy took, and Josh Sweat pressured him on the following play.
It was Reddick whose hit derailed the Niners within the championship recreation by inflicting Purdy’s elbow harm that required offseason surgical procedure to restore a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
“That was a soccer play, it occurred,” Purdy mentioned. “He was attempting to get the ball final recreation, that’s simply the way it all occurred and so going into this recreation, they’ve so many different good gamers, we weren’t simply, ‘Haason Reddick, we acquired to watch out.’
“Clearly, we honored and revered him and what he’s achieved, however was I so involved about him within the recreation? No. It was what the entire protection was doing as a complete. He’s an excellent participant, and that’s the place we’re at with that.”
The arm appeared advantageous Sunday. Purdy was 19 of 27 for 314 yards and 4 touchdowns; he completed the primary quarter 0-for-4 with 0 passing yards. Over the ultimate three quarters, the Niners responded – whereas answering the query of which staff deserved to reside on the prime of the NFC up to now of the 2023 marketing campaign. San Francisco scored a landing on six consecutive drives, and the hometown followers headed house with 5 minutes left on the clock.
Having performed on Thanksgiving for an additional three-day relaxation benefit over the Eagles, the Niners wore the Eagles down all through the sport. The enhancements within the dashing assault – Christian McCaffrey scored a landing and ran for 93 yards on 17 makes an attempt – and the damaged tackles from Deebo Samuel, who had three whole touchdowns (two receiving, one dashing), and Purdy have been proof.
Defensively, the Niners protection stalled the Eagles within the crimson zone and held them to a pair of first-quarter discipline targets. Coming into the sport, the Eagles had one of the best red-zone offense relationship again to Week 5, scoring touchdowns on 21 of 30 alternatives (together with 10 of 10 since Week 9).
“It was big to carry (them) to 2 discipline targets and, regardless of all that, on the third possession we acquired the ball, they’d scored twice, however we have been solely down six,” Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned. “We simply acquired one drive collectively and acquired the lead again, so it was an enormous deal and an excellent feeling.”
Shanahan mentioned he noticed from Purdy what the second-year signal-caller has placed on tape in most of his 20 profession begins in that he didn’t panic when the primary quarter went haywire.
“I believe that’s what I used to be most pleased with,” Shanahan mentioned. “Our guys have been capable of climate the storm.”
The Niners nonetheless path the Eagles by one recreation within the convention standings, however they now personal the head-to-head tiebreaker. And the Niners would be the largest Cowboys followers subsequent week when Philadelphia has to journey for a “Sunday Evening Soccer” matchup in opposition to NFC East rival Dallas.
“I simply liked how excited and prepared our staff was for this recreation,” Shanahan mentioned. “When you find yourself that amped up and able to go – all of the video games are the identical, however we perceive how good they’re. We perceive their file. In order that all the time makes it just a little bit greater. So our guys have been actually excited for the problem.”
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