Brock Purdy's Injury Ends 49ers' Super Bowl Hopes in 31-7 Loss to Eagles
Brutal. Just an absolute brutal of a game for the San Francisco 49ers.
There is no sugar coating it, this game was a painful one to watch. What was supposed to be an incredible matchup between two stalwart teams ended up being an abysmal one. And it all stemmed from the injury that Brock Purdy sustained.
Purdy's injury ends 49ers' Super Bowl hopes in 31-7 loss to the Eagles.
The game was over the moment he got injured. It occured on the first offensive series by the 49ers, but before there was a questionable decision made that ended up starting them off on the wrong foot. Issues for the 49ers weren't so much derived by the players, but by Kyle Shanahan. It all started when he didn't elect to challenge the fourth-down conversion made by Devonta Smith on a one-handed catch. The ball was clearly moving and hits the ground, but because of the hurry up offense by the Eagles, the 49ers couldn't come to a decision fast enough.
The worst decision of the game though by Shanahan wasn't the challenge he didn't make, but the play that got Brock Purdy injured and essentially ended the game. Shanahan decides that Tyler Kroft, a backup tight end, was capable of blocking Haason Reddick, who by the way is an All Pro this year. Reddick forces a fumble on a sack that ends up putting the elbow of Purdy in an awkward angle. Purdy wouldn't return after that until backup quarterback Josh Johnson got concussed to force him out of the game.
The ensuing drive, Shanahan does not learn his lesson. He thinks that Kroft is at fault as he elects to block Reddick with George Kittle as he comes across the formation on a motion. It did not go well as Reddick sacked Johnson and almost forced another fumble. Terrible decisions by Shanahan to start off the game. And it was those decisions that ended up costing his chance to go back to the Super Bowl after three years.
Now, the referees did not help the 49ers this game. It was completely one-sided. Anyone who wants to blame the referees are justified. You could've swore the mob was in on it or something. Just an atrocious officiating game considering it was the NFC championship.
Either way, this game is all about the injury to Purdy. Once he was out, it was over. The 49ers defense could not keep such a great offense like the Eagles bottled up for the whole game. What they did was amazing, they just had no help from the offense and for obvious reasons. There will be zero slander tolerated against them.
Really, the loss falls on Shanahan. Choosing to put a backup tight end to block an All Pro edge rusher is idiotic. It was a pedestrian move that someone off the street would've made, not an experienced head coach. A gut wrenching finishing end to the 49ers' season. This was disappointing and it could've been prevented if Reddick is blocked correctly with an actual offensive lineman.
Now, the 49ers go into the offseason with quarterback controversy yet again and with defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans on the way out. All eyes will on the diagnosis of Purdy to see exactly what happened to him, which I feel like will end up being a similar UCL injury to Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
A long offseason awaits the 49ers with their quarterback controversy, but there is no doubt that they will still be a premier team going into 2023.
