FIRST THINGS FIRST | Brou vindicated by Brock Purdy's performance as 49ers beat Lions, advance to SB

Summary

The 49ers improbably came back from 17 points down in the NFC Championship to stun the Lions behind backup QB Brock Purdy. Purdy's teammates praised his resilience, and analysts debated whether his clutch play makes him the 49ers' weak link. We also see Dan Campbell's aggressive coaching decisions throughout questioned with the game on the line. The consensus is Purdy stepped up big in the 2nd half with uncommon poise and playmaking, while a couple late-game choices may have cost Campbell.

Takeaways

• 😊 Brock Purdy led an incredible comeback for the 49ers, tying the record for the largest deficit overcome in an NFC Championship game
• 😀 Fred Warner and Trent Williams praised Purdy's performance and resilience
• 👏 Purdy became the first QB in 30 years to have 150+ passing yards, 45+ rushing yards, 80%+ completion rate, 10+ yards per carry, and no turnovers in a half
• 😎 Purdy made some "Mahomes-type" scramble plays that impressed Nick
• 😕 Nick still sees Purdy as the 49ers' "weakest link" but gave him credit for his poise and confidence
• 👍 Purdy showed he can bring the 49ers back from deficits in back-to-back playoff games
• ❓ There's debate around whether Dan Campbell's aggressiveness cost the Lions the game
• 😟 Running the ball and burning a timeout before the onside kick lost the Lions the game
• 😃 Campbell had an 85% fourth down conversion rate in positive territory this season
• 😕 The fourth down calls were debatable but the bigger mistake was not preserving timeouts before the onside kick

Q & A

How much of a deficit did Brock Purdy lead the 49ers back from in the NFC Championship game?

Brock Purdy led the 49ers back from a 17-point deficit, which was tied for the most in NFC Championship game history.

How many passing yards did Brock Purdy have in the game?

Brock Purdy had 267 passing yards in the game.

What records did Brock Purdy break that were previously held by Joe Montana and Steve Young?

Brock Purdy broke the franchise records for passing yards in a playoff game previously held by Joe Montana and Steve Young.

What were some of the teams that Purdy played well against this season?

Some of the top teams that Purdy played well against this season were Dallas, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.

What was unique about Purdy's performance in the second half?

In the second half, Purdy did something that no other QB had accomplished in the last 30 years - he threw for 150 yards, rushed for 45, completed 80% of passes, averaged 10 yards per carry, and had no turnovers.

What was the key mistake by Dan Campbell according to Nick?

Nick felt that Dan Campbell's key mistake was running the ball and burning a timeout when down 10 with 3 timeouts left - putting them in a nearly unwinnable onside kick situation.

What was Dan Campbell's 4th down conversion rate in positive territory this season?

Dan Campbell had a 85% 4th down conversion rate in positive territory during the regular season and playoffs.

Why did Colin disagree with Nick about the 4th and 3 decision?

Colin felt going for the tie on 4th and 3 would give momentum and make it a fresh game with lots of time left, while Nick said kick the field goal.

Why did Colin think Campbell's decisions didn't cost them the game?

Colin felt that San Francisco was the better team and would have won anyway, regardless of a few questionable decisions by Campbell.

What was unique about the Lions kicker in this game?

The Lions kicker was not their regular kicker all season. He had missed some extra points recently and was estimated to make the long field goal only around 70% of the time.