How far Must the 49ers Advance in the Playoffs to be Viewed as a Success?
The playoffs have finally arrived for the San Francisco 49ers.
What looked like a season that could've been dead in the water once Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot, turned into one where Super Bowl contention is very much alive with Brock Purdy. The 49ers should feel very fortunate that they have Purdy. Teams having a strong third-string quarterback who is a rookie doesn't happen. Just ask the Dolphins who are trotting out their own rookie third-stringer in Skylar Thompson.
In a way, the 49ers are playing with house money. No one could've foresaw how excellent Purdy would perform. He's not only managed to keep the 49ers offense afloat -- he's improving it. Suddenly, the 49ers find themselves with the best chance to go and win a Super Bowl than ever. Then again, the 49ers will have a somewhat soft landing should they crash out of the playoffs like the Divisional round. It can be easily pointed out that they were lucky to get as far as they did with Purdy.
So how far must the 49ers advance in the playoffs to be viewed as a success?
It is really a Super Bowl or bust for the 49ers in terms of appearance. Yes, going that far with Purdy could be viewed as tough, especially if they have to get through a road matchup with the Eagles. But Purdy has proven to be head and shoulders better than Garoppolo. The offense is scoring more points and finally has an explosive element with their passing game. That has been unheard of with Kyle Shanahan since he became head coach of the 49ers.
The expectations for the 49ers should be the Super Bowl. Now, it is feasible to give them a passing grade for the season if they lost in the NFC title game. I'm just not going to be the one who does it given how sweet the 49ers look with Purdy. The whole "he is a backup and seventh-round rookie" excuse should they exit is not going to fly. Those are meaningless terms at his point. Purdy is clearly better than any backup in the league and some starters.
Even if the 49ers are in fact playing with house money, they have to keep riding their hot streak and go for gold which is a Super Bowl. Getting that far, especially with Purdy, will be viewed as such a success. Losing will likely mean that they lost to an incredibly elite quarterback and team like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, or Joe Burrow, so no qualms should be had if that is the case.
Anything less than a Super Bowl appearance is a failure for the 49ers. It would not have been surprising for the 49ers to bow out of the playoffs with Garoppolo as the starter. He has never been anywhere remotely good or even just average in the playoffs. Purdy has at least proven to be better than Garoppolo going into the playoffs. We'll soon see just how much he will be able to translate his regular season performance into the playoffs. I just wouldn't bet against him crumbling at all. I think he'll be able to sustain his high-level of play.
The time is now for the 49ers. They have a better team than last year and that team reached the NFC title game. Now they have a stronger defense and vastly improved quarterback.
Failing to reach the Super Bowl will be deemed an utter disappointment.
