Purdy redeems himself with clutch game-winning drive vs. Packers

Purdy redeems himself with clutch game-winning drive vs. Packers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy did not look like the MVP-caliber quarterback who set 49ers franchise records during the 2023 NFL regular season.

His second pass attempt hit Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage in the chest. Purdy got lucky with the dropped interception that could have just as easily been a pick-six.

The first 3.5 quarters seemed to be a combination of Purdy being off-target and his receivers not being where he expected.

“I think there were times that we were all off,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said following his team’s 24-21 NFC divisional-playoff-round victory on Saturday at Levi’s Stadium.

But when the 49ers were out of chances and the season was on the line, Purdy came through in a big way.

He completed six of seven pass attempts on the make-or-break drive for 47 yards. He also picked up a first down with a third-down sneak and came through with a 9-yard scramble to set up Christian McCaffrey’s game-winning touchdown with 1:07 remaining.

Purdy bounced back from a shaky start and was the best quarterback on the field Saturday night. He completed 23 of 39 pass attempts for 252 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.

“I think early on in the game there were just moments where the check down was there and I was missing the check downs,” Purdy said. “Their defense did a good job with playing soft, keeping everything in front of them, sort of taking away our shot.

“And as a quarterback, you’ve got to be efficient and hit the checkdowns. And so, at the end, I was able to do that. The O-line did a great job, boys did a great job in getting open and we found a way.”

Shanahan detailed some of the issues the 49ers’ offense experienced. The Packers got pressure up the middle that impacted Purdy’s rhythm, footwork, follow-through and accuracy.

One obvious miscommunication occurred on a play in which wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud…

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-01-21 18:13:36

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