The significance of Sunday's victory over the Philadelphia Eagles hasn't fully sunk in for Brock Purdy. For San Francisco 49ers fans, it marked a redemptive win over the team that ousted Purdy's squad from the playoffs last season. The memory of that game lingered in the 49ers locker room, not because they felt outclassed by a superior team, but because they couldn't help but ask themselves, "What if?"
Purdy suffered an injury early in last season's NFC Championship Game. His backup, Josh Johnson, was also injured, forcing Purdy to return to the field, unable to throw the football. Suddenly, the one-dimensional 49ers had to throw away their game plan, one they were very confident in, and rely solely on their run game.
It was no longer a recipe for success.
"When you think about that game and you watch film, there's always the what-ifs and what-could've-beens, if I'd have stayed healthy," Purdy told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated after the game. "The human nature side of it is, Man, I could have done something with that game. It is what it is. It happened. It hurt for all of us. To come into this game, same place, sort of like a prime-time game, the environment's just breathing down your neck and then to be able to perform how we needed to perform and to throw the ball for a whole game, I'm just thankful for it, more than anything."
Purdy and the 49ers didn't just beat the Eagles on Sunday. They embarrassed the Philadelphia squad in front of their home crowd. Such a demoralizing loss may leave the Eagles questioning their ability to compete with a team like the 49ers, potentially carrying doubts into a postseason rematch.
As for the 49ers' quarterback, well, he still has a one-game-at-a-time mentality and will figure out what it all means down the road.
"Did it give me closure and all that kind of stuff? I don't know," Purdy admitted. "I guess I'll still have to think about all of it. More than anything, we've got a game next week, too, so I don't want to get stuck in all of this."
Purdy was downright impressive against the Eagles, completing 19 of his 27 pass attempts (70.4 percent) for 314 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 148.8 passer rating. While firmly entrenched in the conversation for league MVP, his team-first attitude won't allow him to boast about all he has accomplished in such a short time.
"I'm definitely thankful for it all, man," Purdy said. "I don't come into the building one day and think I'm the man, that I've done this or that. I have such a great supporting cast and a great system, great coaching, very thankful for all of it. I look around and I see other quarterbacks and their situations. To be here at this time with these guys, it's very special. I'm always going to be appreciative of that."
