After he was the last player chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft, quarterback Brock Purdy entered last season third on the San Francisco 49ers’ depth chart and was pretty much an afterthought.

But after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo both suffered season-ending injuries, Purdy took over in Week 13 and played brilliantly right away.

He turned into a nice Cinderella story fairly quickly, but many across the nation doubted he was for real and dismissed him as a “system quarterback,” especially since the 49ers throw the football less frequently than most, if not all, other teams.

But after his dazzling performance in Sunday’s blowout win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Purdy has become a frightening reality for the rest of the NFL.

Danny Kanell said, per NFL on CBS, that Purdy is having one of the best starts to a career of any NFL quarterback, and he has the stats to back up that claim.

.@dannykanell says Brock Purdy is having one of the best starts to a career of all time… and he's got the numbers to back it up pic.twitter.com/LFjhQKt9pW

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) December 4, 2023

Purdy now has 17 games — a full NFL season — as a starter under his belt, and in those games, as Kanell pointed out, Purdy has the highest completion percentage, QBR, and yards per pass attempt of any quarterback in his first 17 starts.

In fact, he’s currently leading everyone in the NFL in pass completion percentage, passer rating, and yards per both pass attempt and pass completion, and he’s very narrowly behind the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott for the lead in QBR.

Against the Eagles, the Iowa State University product was 19 of 27 for 314 yards and four touchdowns in a dominating 42-19 win at Lincoln Financial Field.

In fact, that win and performance has apparently put Purdy in the discussion for the league MVP award.

The post Analyst Heaps Praise Upon 1 QB’s Start To NFL Career appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t just lose at home on Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers — they got embarrassed by 23 points.

They took an early 6-0 lead as the Niners offense struggled in the first quarter, but that would do it as far as Philly’s competence in this game, as they got completely dominated the rest of the way.

On “The Dan Patrick Show,” Dan Patrick questioned why head coach Nick Sirianni still had his starters in the game during the final minutes, particularly quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back D’Andre Swift.

Dan didn't understand why the #Eagles still had their starters in the game while they were getting blown out late into the 4th quarter. pic.twitter.com/0z2eR71CKl

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) December 4, 2023

Hurts had to leave the field at one point to get evaluated for a possible concussion, but afterward, he re-entered the game, even though the outcome was virtually decided at that point.

Hurts, who came into the contest as a front-running MVP candidate, had a weak outing, going 26 of 45, throwing just one touchdown pass, and only managing 20 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Brock Purdy continued his Cinderella story by completing 19 of 27 passes for 314 yards and four touchdown passes while not throwing a single interception.

Philly is now 10-2 on the season, and they have a real shot at not finishing first in the NFC, which would mean they would likely have to win a playoff game on the road to return to the Super Bowl.

They will play the Dallas Cowboys, who, like the 49ers, are 9-3, this coming week, and a loss would truly sound the alarm bells throughout the Delaware Valley.

The Eagles came into Week 13 as perhaps the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but now, the 49ers have seemingly taken over that territory, at least for now.

The post Dan Patrick Questions 1 Eagles Decision During Blowout Loss appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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Right now, the Boston Celtics appear to be the best team in the NBA, and true to their storied tradition, they’re especially getting it done on the defensive end.

But their offense isn’t too shabby, and Jayson Tatum, their best player, is leading the way by averaging 27.4 points a game so far this season.

He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for October and November as the Celtics entered Monday tied for the best record in the league.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in October/November. pic.twitter.com/3ehktTebWp

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 4, 2023

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum doesn’t get enough credit or recognition for being as great as he is, per NBC Sports Boston.

"I don't think he gets enough credit for balancing both sides of that coin."(being a team player and a star player)

Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum being named EC player of the month for October and November pic.twitter.com/4ilIX9qnVI

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 4, 2023

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Tatum isn’t the most exciting or dazzling scorer in the NBA today, but as Mazzulla pointed out, he is team-oriented and will also help make the game easier for his teammates.

Throughout their history, the Celtics have been known for the team taking precedence over a dominating superstar, but true basketball fans know just how capable Tatum is.

He considers himself a disciple of the late great Kobe Bryant, and he often bails his team out with contested 3-pointers that are reminiscent of the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

The knock against Tatum, at least at this point of his career, is that he has been lackluster in big playoff games, such as during the 2022 NBA Finals when Boston blew a 2-1 series lead and lost to the Golden State Warriors.

But this time around, he has more help than ever on offense with the offseason acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.

The post Celtics HC Reacts To Jayson Tatum Getting NBA Honor appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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