SANTA CLARA — Because the Dallas Cowboys slowly shuffled again to their locker room Sunday night, eradicated by the 49ers for the second straight season, Brock Purdy stood, triumphant, at midfield. He dapped up a couple of thwarted opponents, kneeled and took half within the postgame prayer circle.
Afterward, Erin Andrews, the Fox sideline reporter, was ready for him.
When Purdy was, finally, able to run again into the Levi’s Stadium tunnel for the ultimate time this season, a horde of followers — tons of, not less than — remained, ready to chant his identify. It was their final probability to bathe adoration over the unlikeliest of recipients, not as a result of their season was over however as a result of it now shifts to Philadelphia.
The rookie quarterback, taken with the ultimate decide of final spring’s NFL draft, who started the season behind on the depth chart not one however two different sign callers, has began seven video games and received all of them. In his greatest problem but, towards a Dallas protection that allowed the sixth-fewest factors within the NFL this season, Purdy once more was precisely what the 49ers requested for: adequate.
After their 19-12 win Sunday night time, Purdy and the 49ers will face the Eagles subsequent week for a visit to the Tremendous Bowl.
Fairly a pair months for a person who started the season as “Mr. Irrelevant.”
“The entire season I’ve been taking issues in and simply being appreciative of the place I’m at with my life and enjoying soccer — the little issues, the large issues, all of it,” Purdy instructed the Bay Space Information Group from inside the Levi’s Stadium tunnel after Sunday’s win. “Once I first acquired in towards Miami (after Jimmy Garoppolo’s damage), I wished to point out the blokes that I may play and earn their respect. As I’ve performed extra video games and performed in entrance of this crowd, it’s extra like, man, let’s win.”
Final week, in his first playoff begin, Purdy overcame nerves and a slick soccer to throw for 332 yards and three touchdowns because the 49ers romped via a porous Seattle protection. It was a bit totally different this time round, going through a vaunted Dallas protection.
Purdy completed 19-of-29 for 214 yards and didn’t throw a landing. It was his first sport as a starter with out a move accomplished to the tip zone. The 49ers’ 19 factors have been additionally a low with Purdy because the starter, and their 312 complete yards have been only one greater than their low in seven video games with the rookie from Iowa State.
However Purdy didn’t flip the ball over (his counterpart, Dak Prescott, tossed two picks), and the 49ers’ run sport took over within the second half — with a bit assist from George Kittle’s miraculous bobbling catch — to ship them on to the following spherical.
“He’s keen to do no matter it takes and he took care of the ball, which is big,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk stated. “If we don’t flip the ball over we really feel like we will win each sport.”
In Purdy’s seven video games because the starter, the 49ers’ offense has turned the ball over 3 times whereas going 7-0. They dedicated 13 whereas going 8-4 in 12 video games with Garoppolo and Trey Lance.
Quarterbacking within the NFL isn't any straightforward job, however Purdy has gotten about as smooth a touchdown as a rookie quarterback may hope for. Past the smorgasbord of offensive weapons to select from — it was Kittle who performed the hero Sunday and joined Purdy in his postgame interview on Fox — the Niners had confronted one top-10 protection, the Washington Commanders, since Purdy took over.
Dallas, with Demarcus Lawrence (1 sack, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits) main its move rush, Micah Parsons (4 tackles, 1 move protection) in the midst of the sphere and Trevon Diggs (4 tackles) roaming the secondary, introduced a distinct problem.
And Purdy wasn’t all the time fairly.
There was the third-down sack within the purple zone, after Kittle’s juggling catch (which, Purdy stated, “appeared prefer it was 10 seconds of bobbling”), that was solely negated due to a defensive holding penalty (a play that ended with each Purdy and Kittle on the bottom, because the tight finish danced to his delight after drawing the flag).
And going into halftime, Purdy practically price them an opportunity at three factors by throwing the ball away on the final attainable second (a play that ended with Kyle Shanahan midway on the sphere, yelling at Purdy to rush up).
“On no account was something excellent for the entire offense or the entire crew,” Shanahan stated. “Nevertheless it appeared like playoff soccer. Going towards this crew, we’ve been watching all of them week, we had a sense it was going to be such a sport. That’s why we have been stressing the run sport on either side and stressing defending the ball and making an attempt to drive turnovers. We achieved each of these issues. You do these issues, you continue to need to make plenty of performs.”
Nonetheless, the Niners have been stifled to a level not seen for the reason that earlier days of this season, like of their 13-0 win towards New Orleans and, worse, their 11-10 loss to Denver in Week 3, the one time this 12 months they’ve been held under 300 yards of offense.
If Dallas was a take a look at, Purdy and the 49ers handed.
Nevertheless it solely will get harder subsequent week.
The 49ers allowed the fewest factors within the NFL this season — 16.7 per sport — however no crew restricted their opponents to fewer yards than the Eagles (whose 19.5 factors allowed per sport ranked fifth within the NFL). On prime of that, it will likely be their previously irrelevant rookie quarterback’s first postseason sport away from house.
“Like each different sport,” Shanahan stated of his message to Purdy this week. “You simply received’t be capable to hear as nicely. So we’ll work silent counts, which he’s carried out nicely at. … We’re going to get a great crew in a tricky atmosphere. Generally it’s enjoyable to go on the highway.”
Not less than Philly followers are notoriously pleasant.
“They’ve acquired a historic, loyal fan base,” Purdy stated. “We all know that they’re loud for 4 quarters. … I’m gonna get on the movie, examine ’em out and get rolling.”