Brock Purdy is under a lot of pressure heading into the NFC Championship Game, as he hopes to help lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl.
The Niners’ prospects of getting over the hump after consecutive defeats at this stage in the previous two seasons will be dependent on ensuring that their quarterback is not under constant duress once the game against the Detroit Lions begins.
Purdy is coming off a divisional playoff game in which he laboured in a close victory over the Green Bay Packers. The Niners’ signal-caller was regularly under pressure in that game and failed to deliver accurately because the Packers’ inside rush consistently took away space for him to throw from a stable platform and step into his attempts.
Purdy rediscovered his rhythm on his last drive, going six of seven on a series highlighted by a Christian McCaffrey touchdown run that let the 49ers escape with a 24-21 victory.
This week’s pass rush task just gets more difficult. The Lions’ front seven is not as strong as Green Bay’s, but they do have a standout defensive end in former second-round choice Aidan Hutchinson, who should benefit from a mismatch against 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz.
Nonetheless, even with Hutchinson facing the apparent weak link on the offensive line and Purdy facing an ultra aggressive Detroit defence, there is reason to believe he and the 49ers can counter the Lions’ pressure and keep San Francisco’s hopes of representing the NFC in Super Bowl 58 alive.
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