San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy made the most of his chance to rally his team and dethrone the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Purdy completed a 10-play, 66-yard scoring drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey in a 23-19 win over the Eagles in the Wild Card round. For Purdy, that play went according to plan on a day when he threw two interceptions in the second half.
“I mean, sometimes that happens in games. Guys sometimes hear it wrongly or whatever,” Purdy told reporters afterward about the touchdown play possibly not working. “So in the moment, it was just like, ‘All right, get your split out by [wide receiver Demarcus Robinson] and then we need [wide receiver Kendrick Bourne] to motion over. They knew the play at that time, but it’s like getting guys in the right spot.”
“Then obviously, seeing the clock, making sure we get the snap off, and then go through your read. So, I mean that’s part of it, man,” Purdy continued. “That’s something you do in the NFL every single game. As a quarterback, you have to make sure all that’s good, but at the same time, we all hold each other accountable to make sure we’re doing our jobs right. So, we’ll watch the film; we’ll be better at it.”
Nonetheless, the play worked as the Niners went ahead to stay on Sunday.
Brock Purdy Reveals Where CMC Fell in Play
While McCaffrey is one of Purdy’s go-to guys, he wasn’t the first option in that game-winning touchdown pass.
“Yeah, it was designed,” Purdy said about the play. “Obviously, he’s my last guy in the progression. But, if we had a certain look where he was one-on-one, if he ended the play, then it was going to be there if I got to him. So, I just checked out the front side of the play and didn’t feel anything. So, I just stepped up and knew Christian should be right where he was, and he was.”
“So, it was just perfectly drawn to play and then executed greatly by Christian,” Purdy added.
Purdy finished with 18-31 passing for 262 yards and two touchdowns versus two interceptions, and he rushed for 24 yards on nine attempts. McCaffrey caught six passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 48 yards on 15 carries in the win.
49ers Offense Not Gone With the Wind
Besides handling the Eagles’ pass rush, the 49ers dealt with winds of up to 35 miles per hour. Purdy admitted they had to adjust, but the 49ers ultimately found a way to walk out winners at a blustery Lincoln Financial Field in Philly.
“It was definitely a factor. Yeah, definitely,” Purdy admitted afterward. “Just certain parts of the stadium, too. The wind was bouncing off our sideline.”
“Some end zones with the open side, like the wind pushing back in. So, it’s definitely part of the game,” Purdy added. “It’s something we talked about pre-game stuff, warming up during the game. You have to account for it for sure. It’s part of it.”
Brock Purdy Reveals What He Told 49ers Before Game-Winning TD vs. Eagles