Most people consider the San Francisco 49ers a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and after a three-game losing streak that had some people concerned, they have rebounded nicely.
They took care of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 11, then routed the division-rival Seattle Seahawks in Week 12 on Thanksgiving Day to improve to 8-3.
San Francisco will face their biggest test in a while this weekend when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that defeated them soundly in last season’s NFC Championship Game.
FS1’s Nick Wright said on “First Things First” that the only question mark as far as whether they will win the Super Bowl is the play of quarterback Brock Purdy, and that Purdy will have to play well, especially in crunch time, to move the needle in a positive direction.
"The biggest question mark with the 49ers and are they going to win the Super Bowl is their quarterback."
— @getnickwright on why Purdy can't have a disastrous game against the Eagles: pic.twitter.com/CZ7ZaLF4TQ
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) November 28, 2023
Since taking over for the injured and now-departed Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 last season, Purdy has mostly played brilliantly, and he’s currently leading the NFL in passer rating, yards per pass attempt, yards per pass completion, and pass completion percentage.
Yet some in the national media dismiss Purdy as a fraud who is merely a “system quarterback” who has been greatly boosted by head coach Kyle Shanahan’s QB-friendly offense.
Yet Garoppolo never put up numbers anywhere close to Purdy’s for an extended stretch in his six seasons with San Francisco.
Last season, Purdy, who was then a rookie, tore the UCL in his throwing elbow early in the NFC title game, and thus his team never had a shot versus Philly.
A win this time against the Eagles would be a major statement for a 49ers team that hasn’t won the Super Bowl since the 1994 campaign.
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