Santa Clara -A year ago, the 49ers entered the playoffs as favorites to win it all. This season, they played their final home game for the fans after being officially eliminated from playoff contention last weekend. Plagued by injuries, their once-stellar offense faltered under an inconsistent Brock Purdy. Tonight, the 49ers fell 40-34 to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football.
Purdy left the game early with an elbow injury late in the fourth and is up for a contract extension as his rookie deal nears its end, but hasn’t made a lasting impression this season. Two years ago, Purdy stepped in for Trey Lance, who suffered a season-ending injury and led the team to the NFC playoffs. However, they were dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to win the Super Bowl that year, with Purdy sustaining an elbow injury in the loss.
Purdy and the 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII last year but came up short in a 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Today, the 49ers play their final home game of the season against the Detroit Lions, who clinched a playoff berth last week. While the game carries no playoff implications for the 49ers, it means everything to the fans attending the season finale.
“Nothing right now. We’re going to get an MRI tomorrow and see,” Purdy said. “It doesn’t feel the best, but just leave it at that. So we’ll see tomorrow.”
“On that sack, I got hit on the backside and basically just my arm was on fire kind of thing. I tried throwing a couple on the sideline and I couldn’t at that point. It has nothing to do with tapping out of the game or anything like that. I love my teammates, and all go to the very end for them and this fan base and everybody. That’s what hurts me is I couldn’t finish the game, but again, we’ll see tomorrow.”
Tonight, Purdy had something to prove to the fans—and he delivered with everything he had! Purdy went 27-for-35, throwing for 377 yards, which included three touchdowns and two interceptions. He opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Pearsall in the first quarter, giving the 49ers a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Purdy found Kyle Juszczyk for a 9-yard touchdown pass and later scrambled for a 9-yard touchdown, closing the half with a 21-13 lead.
The 49ers offense scored a TD on their first 3 possessions of the night, marking the first time the team has done so this season and just the 3rd time the unit has accomplished the feat since at least 2000 [vs. Arz. (10/1/23); at Jax. (10/27/13)].
The Niners offense registered 400 net passing yds., marking their highest net passing total this season and the highest net passing yds. in a game since registering 408 total net passing yds. vs. Arz. (11/17/19).
The 49ers offense registered 29 first downs on the night, marking the most total first downs in a single game this season and the most since registering 30 first downs vs. Arz. (10/1/23).
The Lions played all their starters and managed to score twice in the first half. Jameson Williams rushed for a 3-yard touchdown, but the extra point attempt was blocked. Jared Goff then connected with Williams again on a 42-yard touchdown pass to keep Detroit within striking distance.
By the third quarter, the Lions fought back into the game. Sam LaPorta caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Goff, tying the score at 21-21. The Niners responded with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Deebo Samuel, reclaiming the lead at 28-21.
However, the Lions surged ahead with a 57-yard field goal by Jake Bates, cutting the deficit to 28-24, followed by a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth quarter to take a 34-28 lead. Jahmyr Gibbs then sealed the game with a 30-yard rushing touchdown, putting Detroit up 40-28 with just two minutes remaining.
“The effort’s always there,” said Fred Warner. “I feel like the effort’s always there. It’s always going to be about the execution and about taking the ball away. We didn’t do either of those things tonight.”
“I have no clue,” Ji’Ayir Brown said with the loss tonight. “We led the league last year in takeaways. I don’t know what is going on this year. It is just sad.”
With one last push, backup QB Joshua Dobbs rushed for a 7-yard touchdown, but Jake Moody missed his second kick of the game. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time left for the 49ers to stage a comeback. The clock ran out with the Lions emerging victorious, while the 49ers closed their season at home.
“Definitely one of the lowest times of my career, dating back to when I first started football,” said Moody. “So, confidence, you just have to keep it high. You have no other choice as a kicker. You just have to keep staying confident in yourself otherwise, you have nothing. So, have to stay confident and just keep going from here.”
Photo by 49ers/Twitter
