The San Francisco 49ers won in a thriller over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football in Week 17 of the NFL season. It keeps the 49ers' hopes for the NFC West and the 1 seed alive.
Brock Purdy was incredible for the 49ers, as he led the 49ers to an impressive 42-point performance over the Bears' own 38-point total. He spotted the Bears' 7 points on the opening drive pick-six, but after that, he locked in and was dominant.
Unfortunately, Nick Wagoner of ESPN notes that the 49ers will need to rely upon Purdy to play like this going forward. The defense isn't going to get better, and the offense will need to be relied upon entering the playoffs.
Brock Purdy to be relied upon even more as 49ers enter playoffs
"It's asking a lot of Brock Purdy & Co. -- tops in the NFL in points per game since the quarterback returned from a toe injury in Week 11 -- to continue lighting up the scoreboard the way they have over the past six weeks," Wagoner writes, "but it's the only path forward given the state of the defense."
Teams can win with lackluster performances from either side of the ball, but it only adds more pressure to the one side working. For the 49ers, with the defense struggling immensely this season, Purdy and the offense will be relied upon even more.
He's already been leading the 49ers to multiple wins in recent weeks, and his super-human type performances cannot be stopped here.
The 49ers, at 12-4 heading into Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks, have a chance to clinch the NFC West, the NFC's top seed, and a first-round bye.
But, whether it's in Week 18 or in the playoffs, the 49ers will need Purdy to be at his best at all times. Otherwise, the 49ers are not going to make it far in the playoffs.
His 24-of-33 for 303 yards and three touchdowns, with another two touchdowns on the ground to go with 28 rushing yards, is the kind of performance he's going to need to continue making as the season moves along.
Most of the playoff teams have some of the best offenses in the NFL, and even if they aren't the best offense, the 49ers' defense hasn't shown the ability to stop anyone lately.
Since the bye week, the 49ers' defense has allowed the Tennessee Titans to score 24 points, the Indianapolis Colts, with Philip Rivers at QB, to score 27, and on SNF in Week 17, the Bears to score 31.
Wagoner believes the 49ers' only way to win games moving forward is with heroic performances from Purdy.
Based on how the defense has played, it's hard to argue against that point. It's a tall task for Purdy, as the franchise QB will have a lot on his plate in the playoffs this season.
More 49ers News:
- 49ers' Kendrick Bourne has hilarious reaction to being 1-yard away from $500,000
- Brock Purdy ends 22-year 49ers drought with historic performance vs. Bears
- 49ers playoff picture: How win over Bears impacts NFC West race, San Francisco's chances at No. 1 seed
- Brock Purdy's dance moves have 49ers fans fired up after massive win over Bears
- Bears vs. 49ers final score, result: San Francisco outguns Chicago in 'Sunday Night Football' shootout