Despite suffering roadblocks in rainy conditions, Purdy’s last-quarter heroics earned the 49ers a trip to the NFC Championship. In a 24-21 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the divisional playoffs, Brock Purdy experienced a day at work that wasn’t his best. But, for those who had doubted Purdy’s capabilities, the day turned out to be an eye-opener.

In Sunday’s division game, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback and his squad truly won the respect of their head coach Kyle Shanahan. The NFL community too praised Purdy’s late-quarter heroics as he earned the team a trip to the NFC championship. However, Purdy admitted one mistake that could cost a quarterback big time.

Brock Purdy reveals the ‘keyword’ related to a quarterback

Securing a 24-21 victory, the San Francisco 49ers have advanced to a third-straight NFC title game. This marks Brock Purdy’s quarterback’s second appearance in his two NFL seasons. The Niners faced a challenging situation, trailing by seven points at the end of the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers. But, they showcased resilience in the final 15 minutes, delivering crucial defensive stops and executing two scoring drives. Despite a heroic comeback, Purdy acknowledged the major mistake he made as a quarterback.

The keyword here is checkdown. In the post-game conference, he confessed, “I think, early on in the game, there was just moments where the check down was there, and I’m missing. I was missing the checkdowns and so you know, when their defense did a good job with playing soft, keeping everything in front of them, sort of taking away, our shots and stuff.” At the same time, he also added, “And as a quarterback man you got to be efficient and hit the checkdowns and so at the end, I was able to do that.”

Nevertheless, the 49ers have advanced to a third straight NFC Championship. This win under head coach Kyle Shanahan broke a streak of 31 previous instances where they had not won when trailing five or more points in the fourth quarter since 2017. The status of the team without such a win in this span changed with Purdy’s late game-winning drive, earning the respect of the head coach.

Kyle Shanahan acknowledges the efforts of Purdy

Dre Greenlaw’s interception provided Brock Purdy and the offense with a favorable field position. This resulted in a crucial field goal to narrow the gap. Subsequent miscues by the Packers, including a punt and a missed field goal, created an opportunity for Purdy and the offense to drive down the field. In a sudden shift, Purdy displayed the dynamic quarterback skills seen throughout most of the season, leading a 69-yard, 12-play offensive masterpiece.

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Managing the clock effectively, the Niners took the lead with just over a minute left before Christian McCaffrey’s touchdown run. After the game, Kyle Shanahan said, “It’s like, we had what we wanted right in front of us, so you have to clean the slate, you have to have a clean mind, and not try to force anything, take what the defense gives you, and find a way.” Then, about his QB, he stated, “Brock, he made some big plays in this game. Missed a couple, but leading us down on our last drive and getting the win, that’s all I can ask for.”

The Niners will next face the winner of the NFC’s other divisional round contest between the Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team will host the winner in Santa Clara on Sunday, Jan 28.

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