49ers Brock Purdy rout Tom Brady’s Buccaneers
2022.12.11 – Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in his first career start and the San Francisco 49ers rout Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 35-7 win on Sunday.
Purdy’s day started with a botched audible that led to a crushing hit and ended with an emotional hug with his family and congratulations from Brady.
In between came a stretch of nearly flawless play that made Purdy’s first career start a very successful one.
Purdy became the first quarterback ever to best Brady in his first start, earning the postgame congratulations from the NFL’s most accomplished quarterback.
“It was surreal just standing there like, man, that’s Tom Brady talking to guys and dapping guys up. For him to have respect for what I did, it was pretty cool. I’m not going to lie,” Purdy said. “Being a little kid, watching that guy kill it throughout all these years in Super Bowls, to be able to give him a high five at the end was pretty cool.”
Purdy’s day got off to a painful start when he was flattened on a blitz by Keanu Neal on the first play. Neal was flagged for roughing the passer.
Purdy said the hit woke him up and he responded by leading the Niners (9-4) to one of their five touchdowns on their first seven possessions when Deebo Samuel scored on a 13-yard run.
2022.12.11 – (49ers vs. Buccaneers) NFL Video Highlights
2022.12.11 – (49ers vs. Buccaneers) NFL Video Highlights
“We’ve got a quarterback,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “I always had a lot of confidence in him, but obviously it’s the NFL and you’ve got to go perform and he did that pretty darn good.”
San Francisco already led 21-0 at that point thanks to Purdy’s 2-yard touchdown run and his 27-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey.
He capped a near-perfect first half with a 32-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk, joining Don Strock (1975) as the only players to throw at least two TD passes and run for another in the first half of their first career start, according to Sportradar.
“I’m really not shocked,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “I know everybody else kind of was wondering how Brock Purdy was going to play. … When you see that ball flying in the air, scoring touchdowns, 28 points at the half, that’s big-time football.”
2022.12.11 – 49ers vs. Buccaneers (NBC Sports: Post-Game Show)
2022.12.11 – 49ers vs. Buccaneers (NBC Sports: Post-Game Show)
2022.12.11 – 49ers vs. Buccaneers (NBC Sports: Post-Game Show)
McCaffrey, who ran for 119 yards, added a TD on the ground with a 38-yard run after Brady was intercepted by Tashaun Gipson on the first drive of the third quarter.
49ers Lose Star WR Deebo
49ers receiver Deebo Samuel was taken off the field on a cart after injuring his left ankle on a running play.
Samuel’s leg buckled as he fumbled the ball on a carry late in the second quarter.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that Samuel didn’t break any bones, but likely sustained a high ankle injury that could sideline him for several weeks.
“It was definitely concerning on the field,” defensive end Bosa said. “It looked pretty bad. I hope that he’s all right. He’s tough as hell. He tried to walk off. I’m just hoping for the best.”
Nearly the entire 49ers team came on the field to wish Samuel well before he was taken off on a cart with his face in his hands. He didn’t return to the game.
It marked the second straight week the Niners had a key offensive player go down with a significant serious injury after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo broke his left foot in the first quarter last week.
Samuel had scored on a 13-yard TD run on San Francisco’s first possession Sunday. He had four carries for 21 yards and four catches for 43 yards.
Samuel has 54 catches for 612 yards and two TDs, along 228 yards rushing and three TD runs this season.
Brady, playing just his second road game against the team he rooted for while growing up in nearby San Mateo, was intercepted again on the next possession by Dre Greenlaw and didn’t lead the Bucs to a score until a deflected TD pass to Russell Gage late in the third quarter.
Brady finished 34 for 55 for 253 yards with one TD and the two interceptions.
“It’s easy to say everyone’s got to play better, but we’re just not playing,” Brady said. “We have just not played consistently well very often. We haven’t played it for four quarters. Maybe we played it a little bit at times but not today at all.”
Despite the lackluster performance, the Bucs still have a one-game lead over Atlanta and Carolina in the NFC South and are in line for a home playoff game if they close it out.
Souvenir Hunting
After the game, Greenlaw and Gipson went up to Brady with the balls they had intercepted and asked to get them signed.
“The worst thing he could tell me was no,” Greenlaw said. “I was always told, you don’t ask, you never know. He’s a good guy to sign that ball after he threw those picks was big time. I appreciate it. He’s the greatest. He’s the GOAT. I appreciate that.”
Replay Confusion
Purdy’s long touchdown pass to McCaffrey was originally ruled a catch, then announced as an in-completion before the officials announced they were going to review the play because McCaffrey bobbled the ball.
2022.12.11 – 49ers vs. Buccaneers (KRUEGER: Post-Game Show)
2022.12.11 – 49ers vs. Buccaneers (KRUEGER: Post Game Show)
2022.12.11 – 49ers vs. Buccaneers (KRUEGER: Post-Game Show)
With no clear evidence of whether McCaffrey’s second foot hit out of bounds before he controlled the ball, referee Brad Allen announced that the initial call of a TD would stand.
INJURIES
Bucs: NT Vita Vea (calf), CB Zyon McCollum (concussion), CB Jamel Dean (toe) and LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (hip) all left with injuries.
49ers: Purdy hurt his oblique but was able to play through it. … San Francisco lost Samuel, DT Kevin Givens (knee), CB Samuel Womack (head), CB Dontae Johnson (knee) and DL Kerry Hyder Jr. (ankle).
UP NEXT
Bucs: Host Cincinnati on Sunday.
49ers: Visit Seattle on Thursday night with a chance to clinch the NFC West.
Related: 49ers beat Dolphins with ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Purdy (8-4)
Related: See below – 49ers Mostert Epic Dash to Super Bowl!
Read more at: San Francisco 49ers Media Services / More AP NFL
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
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