There was some comfort that the San Francisco 49ers were able to stave off a very game and upset-minded Packers squad on Saturday, after shocking the NFL world by defeating the Cowboys to begin the playoffs. The 49ers have advanced to the NFC Championship game, and while it took some good fortune and late performance to get there, quarterback Brock Purdy’s relief runs deeper.
Purdy’s elbow injury early in last year’s playoff opening against the Eagles wrecked the 49ers’ season at the time. Purdy was overjoyed to be able to enter the field, play the entire game, and walk away with a victory on Saturday, his first playoff win of his young career.
Following the game, Purdy told SI.com’s Albert Breer that the 49ers’ excitement was at an all-time high
“Last year happened,” Purdy explains. “That sucked. We all believed we had a team capable of going the distance. We didn’t have the opportunity to. Now we’re back. It’s been a quick year. We’re all delighted about this opportunity. We weren’t attempting to think too far into the future. With Green Bay coming in, we thought it would be a good game. It was incredible to be able to come through in the end. Now it is time for us to focus on the NFC Championship.
“We’re all drooling over this opportunity.”
49ers Brock Purdy struggled with the weather.
Purdy was not great in the win over the Packers, battling at times with a rain-soaked ball. However, he completed 23 of his 39 throws for 252 yards and had a passer rating of 86.7, which matched for his fourth-lowest rating this season.
His opponent, Packers quarterback Jordan Love, likewise battled with accuracy in the rain, completing 21 of 34 attempts, throwing two interceptions, and finishing with a 72.4 rating.
Purdy attempted to combat the weather by donning a glove on the first drive, but abandoned when the 49ers punted.
In his postgame press conference, Purdy stated, “Obviously, I put on the glove for the first drive.” “It was raining and then drizzled, so I took it off. So I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and I was tired of using the glove, so I just threw like I typically do.”
On to the Detroit Lions.
Next up comes the Lions, who will have the same upset hopes as the Packers, but it is evident that the 49ers will need to play better to win that game and advance to the Super Bowl. The 49ers are favored by one touchdown.
The good news for Purdy is that no rain is forecasted in the forecast. That will assist. On a positive note, the 49ers finally overcame their inability to win when trailing. They trailed by seven points in the fourth quarter on Saturday. Kyle Shanahan’s teams had gone 0-30 in those instances.
The triumph boosted the team’s confidence in case the situation arose against the Lions.
“We have too many good guys, too many good players and too good of a team chemistry to not be able to pull through,” Purdy was quoted as saying by Breer.
