Star tight finish George Kittle wasn’t stunned the San Francisco 49ers put the 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas night time behind them earlier than they clinched home-field benefit for the playoffs thanks, partly, to a 27-10 victory on the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
“That is one thing I prefer to level out—I discovered final yr within the NFC Championship Recreation, once we didn’t have a quarterback, simply the battle that our guys have,” Kittle defined throughout a chat with Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated. “Crucial factor in soccer, apart from successful, is your résumé, what you placed on tape, what the digital camera sees, what your complete league will get to see once they watch your tape. You may activate the tape from the NFC Championship Recreation final yr or the Ravens recreation final week, and everyone simply fights their tails off…Once you’re a part of a workforce like that, that mindset, it doesn’t matter what’s happening and you’ve got the need to battle, it makes it actually particular.”
Moreover the Baltimore debacle, Kittle referenced how the Niners misplaced quarterback Brock Purdy to a torn ulnar collateral ligament throughout final January’s NFC Championship Recreation loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Extra lately, Purdy handled regarding stingers in back-to-back contests, and he tossed 4 interceptions versus the Ravens on Dec. 25.
Purdy and the 49ers bounced again in an enormous approach on the ultimate day of 2023, as the ultimate choose of the 2022 NFL Draft completed 22-of-28 cross makes an attempt for 230 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions within the win over Washington.
“He’s gone via the highs,” Kittle instructed Breer about Purdy. “He’s gone via the lows. He by no means will get too excessive and he by no means will get too low. He’s very even-keel. That’s one factor that folks on the surface don’t see about him. He’s the identical man daily. He can throw for 4 touchdowns, he can throw 4 interceptions. He’s the identical man each single day. He doesn’t get in his feels or something like that.”
Whereas it appears a lock that Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson will win the Most Worthwhile Participant Award for the season over Purdy and all different contenders, DraftKings Sportsbook confirmed on Monday afternoon that the 49ers ended Week 17 because the betting favorites at -120 odds to signify the NFC in Tremendous Bowl LVIII. Purdy seemingly will not thoughts dropping out on MVP if he is in a position to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy come February.