Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Monday, December 4th, 2023
Thompson: In a convincing Philadelphia rout, 49ers get their proof of concept (paywall)
“We’ve seen what happened when they’ve lost key players. They didn’t look nearly as invincible. Also, one massive challenge awaits on Christmas Day in the form of the Baltimore Ravens, a chance for the 49ers to measure themselves against the best of the AFC. But what they did to the Eagles on Sunday was enough proof to know the 49ers’ “A” game can for sure get it done.
By no means was this a revelation. Not to them. This was the genesis of the football world understanding what the 49ers already understood. Sunday’s exodus to Philadelphia produced the most resounding statement of the season. Lamentations filled Lincoln Financial Field. Numbers tell the story.
Six touchdowns on six straight possessions. An average of 8.0 yards per play. Four red-zone touchdowns. Brock Purdy threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns and even ran through a tackle on a scramble.
Kawakami: The Kyle Shanahan Vibes are very good right now for the 49ers (paywall)
“It’s understanding that his team plays a certain way, that it’s hard to beat a Shanahan team, physically and mentally, that he maximizes the talent on hand, and that these talented players love to play for him. It’s the acknowledgment that Brock Purdy is the best quarterback Shanahan has had during this tenure and that the coach and QB are perfect for each other.
It’s the vibes, man. The Shanahan Vibes are really, really good after this Eagles victory and getting better every week.
Things are as good in this moment as they were for the 49ers during the height of the adrenalized Jim Harbaugh era, and Shanahan has already lasted much longer. Things are better for this franchise now than anything during the solid Steve Mariucci era, and it’s built hardier. It’s the best this franchise has been put together and run since George Seifert was extending the Bill Walsh era and Super Bowl victories were expected.”
Barrows: This time it’s Brock Purdy who dishes out punishment in 49ers’ statement win (paywall)
“Instead, Roby bounced off Purdy’s right hip and landed flat on his back, allowing Purdy to scamper out of bounds, where he lowered his shoulder and took on incoming safety Reed Blankenship.
It was a pivotal point in the game. The Philadelphia Eagles defense had thumped the 49ers on their first two drives with the scourge from the NFC Championship Game, edge rusher Haason Reddick, wreaking havoc in the San Francisco backfield once again. When Reddick sacked Purdy on the game’s second snap, it seemed like it might be a repeat of Jan. 29. The 49ers had minus-6 yards after their first two drives.
The run by Purdy, however, sent a signal that the 49ers quarterbacks wouldn’t be so easy to topple this go around. Two plays after his scramble, Purdy smoothly turned to his left and found Brandon Aiyuk for a 2-yard touchdown. After struggling for a full quarter, the 49ers suddenly were ahead 7-6 and had found their footing in soggy, misty Philadelphia. They would never trail again in a dominant 42-19 victory.”
What we learned as 49ers exact revenge in dazzling win over Eagles
“San Francisco got a big play from cornerback Charvarius Ward to break up Jalen Hurts’ pass intended for A.J. Brown in the end zone to end their Eagles’ game-opening drive.
On the Eagles’ second possession, the 49ers’ coverage bought enough time for Javon Kinlaw to register a 15-yard sack when Hurts slipped.
The 49ers put together a strong defensive effort against one of the league’s most high-powered offenses.
One of the keys to the 49ers’ defense was their ability to put the clamps on Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, who managed just 13 yards rushing on six carries.”
Branch: ‘Who he is’: 49ers’ Deebo Samuel trashes Eagles after talking trash (paywall)
“Deebo Samuel arrived at Lincoln Financial Field for Sunday’s showdown dressed in a black turtleneck, black leather jacket, black leather pants and black boots.
His wardrobe suggested he was embracing his villain role in Philadelphia, a city known for its belligerent NFL fans, a hostile group that the San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver had spent the previous 11 months inciting.
Samuel had disrespected one of the Eagles cornerbacks and diminished Philadelphia’s win in last season’s NFC Championship Game. And his words explained the ear-splitting roar that rocked The Linc on Sunday when Samuel was dropped for a 4-yard loss on a sweep on the 49ers’ fourth offensive snap.
Three hours, 198 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns later, however, Samuel, with a bullseye squarely on him, had made a statement far more thunderous than anything the raucous home crowd generated.”
49ers’ Samuel backs up Eagles trash talk with monster performance
“I think he’s the epitome of unselfishness,” Bosa said of Samuel. “He got paid and obviously that comes with a lot of pressure to be the guy and when you have so many dudes you’re not going to get those [opportunities] very often. But I love the fact he can talk and set the stage and walk into a hostile environment and just thrive. That’s what greatness is made of for sure.”
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