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When the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy suffered a UCL injury in the first quarter of the NFC Championship game, it threw Kyle Shanahan’s offense game plan into disarray. When Josh Johnson, Purdy’s replacement, was knocked out, it effectively left the Niners unable to run their offense.
When asked about what it felt like to see his team’s momentum come to a screeching halt, Deebo Samuel compared Shanahan’s adjusted strategy to playing football in the 1950s.
“You never expect a team to get to their third quarterback,” Samuel told Kevin Hart on the April 25 episode of LOL Network’s “Cold as Balls.” “But overall, the way he handled everything was outstanding.”
For 49ers fans, watching the team go from one of the most offensively dynamic attacks in the league to a squad forced to run against loaded boxes was frustrating.
“It was so crazy,” Samuel said. “At that time, there wasn’t too much conversation, because we’re thinking [Purdy’s] about to come back out. He probably got nicked up, you know? We find out Purdy’s down, like, for the rest of the game, he can’t throw the ball past five yards, not even five yards. Whatever it takes, if we have to go back to 1950, three yards a carry right up the middle all game, like, this is what it’s going to be. We can’t throw it! Man, you’ve got Christian [McCaffrey, running back] coming in the huddle with a quarterback wristband, and we’re just like, ‘Yeah.’ Man, we’ve got Purdy in the game and he can barely take the hand off.”
Samuel told Hart that the experience did bring himself and his fellow 49ers together, a small silver lining for a disappointing end to the 2022 season.
Brock Purdy Took George Kittle’s Ambidextrous Advice
During the NFC Championship, George Kittle famously asked Purdy if he could throw left-handed in the hopes of unlocking at least a little more offensive variety in Shanahan’s offense.
Purdy, a right-hander, shot down the idea, but since then, he has diversified his offensive skill set by working on passing left-handed, he told the Kelce Brothers, Jason and Travis, on the April 24 episode of their “New Heights” podcast.
“Yeah, man, I was tellin’ all the guys, we just got back today for phase one OTSes, just throwing the ball lefty just around the house and stuff,” Purdy said. “Gotta be ready for anything at this point.”
Even if Purdy was being facetious in his comments to the Kelce Brothers, it’s still encouraging to see “Mr. Irrelevant” is in good spirits after his offseason surgery, especially since his throwing arm is stuck in a cast.
Deebo Samuel Hates This San Francisco 49ers Rival
Later in his appearance on “Cold as Balls,” Samuel was asked about which teams in the NFL he just can’t stand. Considering he’s a proud member of the Niners, the career-long NFC West member pointed his sights firmly on the division rival that plays a few hours south of San Francisco: the Los Angeles Rams.
“I hate the Rams with a burning passion,” Samuel declared.
Fortunately for Samuel, after losing to the Rams in the NFC Championship game in 2021, the 49ers had LA’s number in 2022, with the team winning both of their games against Sean McVay’s squad. If that trend continues, Samuel may have to find a new least-favorite team — maybe Hart’s favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles — who dealt the Niners the same fate as the Rams one season later.
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