The San Francisco 49ers lose the conference championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. This concludes a true NFL fairy tale without a happy ending. Quarterback Brock Purdy gets injured, continuing the Niners’ losing streak. The Eagles are in the Super Bowl.
The season for the San Francisco 49ers is over. The season of the Super Bowl favorite ends in a painful way and with probably unprecedented bad luck in the NFC Conference Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was the Niners who wrote a true Cinderella story in the NFL playoffs. After both quarterback starter Trey Lance and reserve Jimmy Garoppolo had to say goodbye with two serious injuries during the season, a certain Brock Purdy took over the game of the Bay Men.
Purdy was picked in the very last draft last year, earning him the unflattering nickname “Mr. Irrelevant”. However, the rookie showed in all his starts that he can be quite relevant. He went victorious from game to game, setting a number of rookie records and entering the spheres of a Tom Brady. And he led the Niners to the playoffs.
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Super Bowl hopes had actually ended with Garoppolo’s injury at the latest – despite the best defense in the league and numerous playmakers on the offensive around Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle. But Purdy restored faith in the title. San Francisco defeated the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.
But in the semifinals it’s over. And how.
Right at the beginning, Purdy is tackled from the side and injures his elbow in the scene. He has to go! In Josh Johnson, the fourth quarterback of the season takes over. The “journeyman” was signed by the team as a new substitute just a few weeks ago.
The drop in quality is noticeable, but even after half-time Purdy is still on the sidelines – until Johnson gets injured! Quarterback number four falls badly on the back of the head with a hit and has to leave the field with a suspected concussion. Purdy comes back but is obviously unable to throw the ball.
In all the drama about the playmaker position, bad luck in all critical game situations is not far away. An uncaught, albeit spectacular, catch by DeVonta Smith on a fourth try is given. Johnson loses a ball after a failed snap, Purdy also drops the ball in his injury scene. It’s all going for the Eagles.
In the end, the Niners’ frustration adds up to some penalties. Eleven flags fly against San Francisco, star tackle Trent Williams is even ruled out of the game after a dispute shortly before the end.
All of this helped Philadelphia. The Eagles had the game under control and were hardly challenged by the battered 49ers. Quarterback Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and a clean pass performance to control the action, most of it running offensively. On the fourth touchdown, Hurts carried the ball himself into the end zone.
The Eagles are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since winning five years ago.
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