Brock Purdy admits NFC Championship was on his mind as he exorcises demons

It was understandable that the NFC Championship would play in the mind of quarterback Brock Purdy, but it certainly didn't stop him from carving up the Eagles in a big statement win.

There was so much more on the line for the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles than getting off the field with a win.

For the Niners, it was about vindication after saying all season that the NFC Championship wasn't a fair fight and that the real 49ers would be unleashed on the Eagles who won the conference by default. For Philadelphia, it was about trying to shut San Francisco up and that the record was reflective of who they were.

Read More: 49ers alter balance of power in NFC by soundly beating Eagles in Week 13


Not lost in it was quarterback Brock Purdy, who was returning to the ground where he tore his elbow in an injury that almost put his promising career on the burner. Luckily, his UCL did not require Tommy John surgery, which allowed him to have a quicker recovery time via conventional surgery instead.

But Purdy understandably, while not considering this a "revenge" game, had the injury on his mind coming into Week 13.

"I mean, it was sorta in my mind. Yeah man, I got hurt here. You know that was this year, late in January. But was it going to be the revenge game or anything like that? No. For me it was Week 13."

- Brock Purdy

The injury might have played on his mind, but it had no bearing on his performance. Purdy enhanced his MVP credentials by comprehensively outdueling the current MVP favorite in Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and finished with 314 yards and four touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing.

The win puts the 49ers as firm favorites now for the Super Bowl and also puts them one game behind the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture. The Eagles now have to play the Cowboys who have turned Dallas into a fortress this season. A loss there in Week 14, and a 49ers win over the Seattle Seahawks would see San Francisco claim the top seed via the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Purdy has surpassed every expectation in the second season of his career, and his performance has the 49ers well-placed to win a sixth Lombardi for their trophy cabinet.

Read more from Niner Noise