Levi’s Stadium end zones painted black

All things being equal, the San Francisco 49ers probably had a decent chance to compete against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, possibly earning a return trip to the Super Bowl. All things didn't end up being equal, though. The Niners entered the NFC Championship Game with Brock Purdy at quarterback. Purdy entered the regular season as QB3. However, an ankle injury to Trey Lance in Week 2, and then a foot injury to Jimmy Garoppolo 11 weeks later, left the 49ers turning to Purdy, a relatively unknown rookie to casual NFL fans, to finish out the season. It turns out Purdy might have been exactly what the 49ers needed. First, he won that December 4 contest against the Miami Dolphins, replacing Garoppolo. Then he proceeded to win the seven starts that followed,

San Francisco 49ers fans were irate at head coach Kyle Shanahan as the first half neared a conclusion during their NFC Divisional Round bout with the Dallas Cowboys. Why? Shanahan had elected to shave off a significant amount of game clock to begin San Francisco's drive, rather than choosing to be aggressive with his two-minute drill. As a result, the 49ers were only able to come away with a field goal, which provided them with a three-point lead heading into halftime. While Shanahan understands why his decision-making may have caused a reaction from his fans, the head coach doesn't regret his clock management at the end of the first half. "[I can understand the reaction that our fans had], not just because I can hear [the reaction, but]

The noise at Levi's Stadium has been off the charts in the San Francisco 49ers' two playoff games. This past Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys was the team's last home game, though. Next, they will travel to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face the top-seeded Eagles. While Levi's Stadium crowds have been impressive this season, there are certain venues famous for their loud, passionate fans. Lincoln Financial Field is one of them. One 49ers player didn't sound too concerned about the Philadelphia home crowd. "We know it's going to be loud," wide receiver Deebo Samuel told reporters on Wednesday, "but no stadium is as loud as ours at the end of the day. They're at home, NFC Championship. They're going to be all riled up. We don't really too much feed

Do you smell that? It's playoff football. It's a time to celebrate. For a few more precious hours, every team in the tournament still has life, still has reason to hope. There are no more guaranteed games, but there's football to be played, and right now is the time to exult in it. No matter who you root for, you can imagine your team finding a way to win, a way to keep playing football, and filling your February with excitement and joy. Right now, there's nothing standing between your team and glory except the vagaries of chance and a well-fought effort this weekend, and hopefully the next. And for those of you who aren't rooting for a team that's made it this far, never fear. 7 of the 14 playoff entrants this year didn't make it into the dance last year. The