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Lombardi Trophy or bust: 49ers now have no excuses

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Lombardi Trophy or bust: Star-studded 49ers have no excuses

By John Gidley | Last updated 12/4/23

After demolishing the Eagles 42-19 on Sunday in Philadelphia, the San Francisco 49ers are the clear-cut favorite to win the Super Bowl, per oddschecker.

After a three-game October losing streak, when several of their stars were hampered by injuries, the 49ers have won four straight by a combined score of 134-49. San Francisco is 9-3, one game behind the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With the win over Philadelphia (10-2), the 49ers own the tiebreaker over the Eagles should the teams finish the regular season tied.

The 49ers are winning with a galaxy of stars, from WR Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle to incomparable running back Christian McCaffrey and defensive end Nick Bosa. And then there's their remarkable QB, Brock Purdy.

After being knocked out of last season's NFC Championship Game against Philadelphia with a torn UCL, the second-year QB exacted revenge against the Eagles by throwing for 314 yards with four touchdown passes and no interceptions. With 23 TDs and a league-leading 70.2% completion percentage, Purdy is among the front-runners for Most Valuable Player, per oddschecker.

"Better move Brock Purdy right near/at the top of the MVP favorites list," ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL player, tweeted Monday.

Other media weighed in favorably on Purdy's MVP candidacy, too.

Better move Brock Purdy right near/at the top of the MVP favorites list….if you have not already, or if he wasn’t before this game. Don’t argue with me…argue with the stats.

And the tape.

It’s justified.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) December 4, 2023

I’m sorry, I know there’s a great team around him, but how many second year QBs can get absolutely destroyed for a quarter against one of the best teams in the league on the road and bounce back like nothing happened?

Some dudes have it, most don’t. Brock Purdy does.
— Al Sacco (@AlSacco49) December 3, 2023

The MVP case for Brock Purdy:

Look at how the 49ers did against the Eagles with him and without him
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 4, 2023

San Francisco's competitors for top seed in the NFC — Philadelphia, Detroit (9-3) and Dallas (9-3) — have each had their share of poor performances. The Eagles lost to the New York Jets (4-8) in Week 6. The Cowboys lost to Arizona (3-10) in Week 3. Meanwhile, Detroit's worst loss came by 32 points at Baltimore (9-3) in Week 7.

Detroit is the only one of the aforementioned teams that has lost multiple home games. San Francisco's largest margin of defeat was 14 against Cincinnati (5-6) in Week 8 while Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was still healthy.

As for the AFC, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) look as vulnerable as ever following a 27-19 loss at Green Bay on Sunday night. Miami (9-3) and Baltimore (9-3) are tied for the No. 1 seed, but neither team has a statement win like San Francisco's against the Eagles.

Jacksonville (8-3) is a half-game behind the Dolphins and Ravens pending its Monday night home game against Cincinnati. In Week 10, the 49ers crushed the Jaguars on the road, 34-3.

With the 49ers fully healthy, the sky is the limit for them. Anything short of a Super Bowl LVIII win in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 will be a massive failure.

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