The San Francisco 49ers are coming off their worst performance of the 2023-24 NFL season, when they were defeated 33-19 at home by the Baltimore Ravens. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy left the game in the fourth quarter and did not return, leaving backup quarterback Sam Darnold to finish it.
During his postgame press conference, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan highlighted Brock Purdy’s injury and stated that he expects Purdy to be available for Week 17 against the Washington Commanders. Purdy was seen leaving the medical tent after finishing with a career-high four interceptions.
So, even if the injury is deemed a stinger and no time is expected to be missed, the 49ers will maintain Purdy at quarterback. His loss ended San Francisco’s six-game winning streak and almost certainly forced Purdy to forfeit the NFL MVP Award.
Can Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers still win the NFC West?
The San Francisco 49ers may have lost in primetime on Christmas Day to the Baltimore Ravens, but they still control their own destiny in the playoffs. Despite an awful loss, the Niners remain the NFC’s top seed with two weeks remaining.
Cowboys of Dallas 49ers of San Francisco
Kyle Shanahan must correct the situation if the 49ers are to retain the top seed in the NFC. The photo was taken by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images.
The San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions all have an 11-4 record in the NFC, but the 49ers are the team to beat. They have a better conference record than the Lions and defeated the Eagles in a head-to-head encounter. With the tiebreakers in their favor, those two clubs would need to have a better record to receive the bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
With Brock Purdy slated to play with merely a stinger injury, it is tough to envision the 49ers losing their grasp on the conference’s top spot. Their final two games are against the Washington Commanders and at home against the Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco may have missed out on an opportunity to rest players in Week 18, but they should be able to win both games and secure the top NFC spot without the assistance of Philadelphia or Detroit.
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