Brock Purdy isn't hyping himself up for 49ers grudge match vs. Eagles

While fans and the media are looking at Week 13 between the 49ers and Eagles, Brock Purdy is trying to downplay the contest as much as possible.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy would have plenty of reasons to be sentimental about returning to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

After all, it was the scene of his first defeat at the pro level, and it also marked the spot where he suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow that required offseason surgery and left plenty of question marks hanging over his head, almost all of which have been answered by the second-year signal-caller and then some.

On top of that, Philly is 10-1 and in the driver's seat of the NFC playoff picture. The Niners are the No. 2 seed at 8-3, but in light of what happened last January in the NFC Championship game and in the wake of plenty of smack talk between the two sides, Sunday's contest between Philadelphia and San Francisco is a little more than just the prototypical late-season game.

Except Purdy isn't looking at it that way. No, he wants to see it as just another week late in the season.

Brock Purdy says he hasn't 'circled for the last year' Week 13 between 49ers, Eagles

As soon as the NFL schedule makers put the 49ers and Eagles on the docket in Week 13, fans and players alike probably drew attention to what'd be a grudge match after last January's conference championship.

Purdy, though, didn't echo those sentiments when he spoke to reporters this week ahead of the game.

"Am I going to go back and feel a certain way? None of that," Purdy said when asked if he'd have special feelings about returning to Philadelphia. "It’s a new year, two new teams, slightly different in ways. So that’s how I’m looking at it."

Purdy, who leads the league in completion percentage (70.2), yards per attempt (9.4) and passer rating (112.3) continued to echo the same sentiments when pressed about this game being just a bit bigger than others he and the Niners have played this season.

Yet the quarterback's answer was much of the same.

"Really for us, like I said, we’re later in the year so every single game is huge in terms of going in the playoffs and setting yourself up for where you’re going to be in the playoffs," Purdy responded to a similar question about Sunday's contest. "So for us, that’s how we’re looking at it. That’s how I’m looking at it. ...

"So for us, it’s another great challenge. But to say, have I had this game circled for the last year? Honestly, it hasn’t been like that for me."

Related story: Nick Sirianni downplays 49ers-Eagles chatter, says 'it's not 2022'

Looking to thwart Purdy and San Francisco's offense will be a Philadelphia defense that ranks 20th in points allowed and 12th in yards per play.

The 49ers and Eagles square off on Sunday, Dec. 3 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

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