Photos: San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy only quarterback to beat Tom Brady in first career start
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, as surprisingly impressive as he was in relief last Sunday to beat Miami, put forth a masterpiece Sunday. He became the first of seven quarterbacks in NFL history to win a debut against Tom Brady, a San Mateo native who played only once previously on the 49ers’ field (a 2016 New England Patriots win).
Purdy’s first career start had his dad shedding joyful tears in the Levi’s Stadium stands, and the 49ers’ Faithful shared that sentiment Sunday by chanting “Pur-dy! Pur-dy!” at times in Sunday’s 35-7 rout of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A 28-0 halftime lead made certain Purdy – and the 49ers’ top-ranked defense — would upstage Brady’s rare and perhaps final homecoming to his native Bay Area.
On the 49ers’ way to a sixth straight win, however, came trouble, in the form of Deebo Samuel getting carted off with an ankle injury, 5 minutes before halftime. It’s the latest, scary injury to a franchise that deployed Purdy as its third starting quarterback this season, a week after losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a potentially season-ending foot fracture.
Thursday night brings their next game, at Seattle’s daunting venue where they’ll face the Seahawks (7-6) to possibly clinch the NFC West crown.
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