SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy’s first career start had his dad shedding joyful tears in the Levi’s Stadium stands, and the 49ers’ Faithful shared that sentiment Sunday by chanting “Pur-dy! Pur-dy!” at times in Sunday’s 35-7 rout of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A 28-0 halftime lead made certain Purdy – and the 49ers’ top-ranked defense — would upstage Brady’s rare and perhaps final homecoming to his native Bay Area.
On the 49ers’ way to a sixth straight win, however, came trouble, in the form of Deebo Samuel getting carted off the field with an ankle injury five minutes before halftime. It’s the latest, scary injury to a franchise that deployed Purdy as its third starting quarterback this season, a week after losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a potentially season-ending foot fracture.
The 49ers (9-4) must quickly cast aside their mixed emotions and worthy ego. Thursday night brings their next game, at Seattle’s daunting venue where they’ll face the Seahawks (7-6) to possibly clinch the NFC West crown.
Purdy, as surprisingly impressive as he was in relief last Sunday to beat Miami, put forth a masterpiece Sunday. He became the first of seven quarterbacks in NFL history to win a debut against Brady, a San Mateo native who played only one previous road game against the 49ers (a 2016 New England Patriots win).
Afterward, Purdy had to wait his turn in a reception line of 49ers that gathered to shake hands with Brady, a stream that included Fred Warner, Charles Omenihu, Talanoa Hufanga, Deommodore Lenoir and, finally, Purdy, with general manager John Lynch also in the wings.
The 45-year-old Brady rifled 55 passes and completed 34 for 253 yards, with a pair of second-half interceptions and a touchdown throw when the Bucs trailed 35-0.
The 22-year-old Purdy completed 16-of-21 passes for 185 yards — all but three passes coming in the first half — and he produced two touchdown passes plus a 2-yard touchdown run. He was not intercepted nor sacked before Josh Johnson was summoned for his 49ers debut in the final minutes.
Purdy’s helpers start with the 49ers’ defense, which posted a first-half shutout and then intercepted Brady twice (Tashaun Gipson Sr., Dre Greenlaw). That defense’s hunger to dominate prompted coaches to keep playing NFL sack leader Nick Bosa into the fourth quarter.
Offensively, Purdy did more than just serve as a property manager on the 49ers’ home turf. He got the ball to the 49ers’ stars, and they delivered, such as two touchdowns from Christian McCaffrey and one apiece by Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, not to mention Purdy’s own short scoring scramble to open the second quarter for a 14-0 lead.
McCaffrey racked up 119 rushing yards (14 carries) and 34 receiving yards (two catches). Samuel had four carries (21 yards) and four receptions (43 yards) before his departure.
All that combined set this up as one of the worst losses in Brady’s 376 career starts, including 47 in the playoffs and an unparalleled seven Super Bowl wins.
A 28-0 halftime lead might not have seemed too safe to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who was the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator when they lost Super Bowl LI as Brady rallied the New England Patriots from a 28-3 deficit for a 34-28 overtime win.
The 49ers’ lead reached 35-0 before Brady led a scoring drive to avoid his fourth career shutout, with a deflected touchdown pass landing with Russell Gage Jr. 2:48 before the fourth quarter. (A 35-point loss to New Orleans in 2020 remains the most lopsided of Brady’s career.)
The 49ers’ feel-good start came to a halt 5:01 before halftime when Samuel’s left leg was bent awkwardly on a carry, which he fumbled. The crowd fell silent, Bucs’ defenders took a knee and left tackle Trent Williams looked beside himself as he walked to the sideline. Samuel required a cart came to drive him to the locker room.
Samuel’s injury initially was announced by the 49ers as a knee issue. Not long after it was corrected in the third quarter to an ankle injury, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz tweeted word that “Samuel did not suffer a serious injury” and “the team is optimistic he’s okay. Deebo will undergo more tests as a precaution.”
Before this affair was done, multiple injuries took out 49ers defenders: Kevin Givens, Deommodore Lenoir, Kerry Hyder Jr., Dontae Johnson and Samuel Womack II. None were serious enough to require a cart ride to the locker room.
Samuel gained 3 yards on the carry to the Bucs’ 40-yard line before being taken down by Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Anthony Nelson, with Lavonte David racing in to knock away and recover the football. Samuel scored the 49ers’ first touchdown on a 13-yard run to cap their opening possession. It was his third rushing touchdown of the season, and he followed key blocks by George Kittle and Mike McGlinchey to race down the right sideline.
SCORING DRIVES
Speaking of touchdowns, here are how the 49ers’ came, in reverse order:
49ers 35, Bucs 0: After Tashaun Gipson Sr. intercepted Brady on the opening series after halftime, Christian McCaffrey converted that takeaway into the 49ers’ fifth touchdown, with a 38-yard touchdown run.
49ers 28, Bucs 0: After the Bucs turned the ball over on downs at the 49ers’ 9-yard line, Purdy led one final touchdown drive before halftime, culminating with a 32-yard scoring strike to Aiyuk, and with Purdy willing to take a big hit after his throw. One snap earlier, a Bucs’ holding penalty nullified an interception. Aiyuk had a 25-yard catch earlier on the drive.
One drive earlier, the 49ers lost Samuel to a knee injury. The Bucs recovered Samuel’s fumble and marched to the 49ers’ 8-yard line, but incompletions by Brady on third- and fourth-and-goal kept the shutout intact.
49ers 21, Bucs 0: The 49ers’ third touchdown drive was, well a bit of an officiating mess. Purdy, in the face of an all-out blitz, lofted a 27-yard, third-and-5 pass to McCaffrey for an apparent touchdown. An officials’ review reversed that and claimed McCaffrey bobbled the ball and stepped out of bounds, but after an ensuing review, referee Brad Allen announced: “The original ruling on the field of a touchdown stands.” In the stands, Purdy’s father, Shawn, wiped away tears in joy, as captured by Fox Sports’ broadcast. The Bucs’ counterattack: a three-and-out drive.
49ers 14, Bucs 0: The 49ers’ second touchdown drive, which ended with a 2-yard scoring scramble by Purdy, was set up with contributions from their star-studded cast. In order: a 15-yard, play-action pass to Kittle; back-to-back 13-yard runs by McCaffrey; a 9-yard catch-and-run by Samuel; and, a pass-interference penalty in the end zone on Keanu Neal, who earlier provided the roughing penalty on the game’s opening snap. Down 14-0, the Bucs went three-and-out, with Arik Armstead hitting and landing on Brady as his third-down pass fell incomplete. Meanwhile, on the 49ers’ bench, Purdy looked at tablet while seated next to QB coach Brian Griese and with injured QB Trey Lance sitting on cooler in front of him.
49ers 7, Bucs 0: Only 2 minutes, 34 seconds into this one, the 49ers had a 7-0 lead. Samuel scored on a 13-yard run down the right sideline, after taking a pitch in I-formation and following the lead blocks of George Kittle and Trent Williams. Samuel raced past a trio of defenders on his sideline sprint and finished off safety Logan Ryan at the goal line.
That capped a succession of big plays – 15-yard, third-down conversion catch by Kittle, 21-yard run by McCaffrey – and a drive that started with a giant cringe. On Purdy’s opening snap as a NFL starter, he audibled, then got drilled for a front-side sack, only to be salvaged by a roughing penalty on safety Keanu Neal for his helmet-leading hit.
In the end, Purdy got credited with a touchdown on his first drive of a second straight game, having also done so in last Sunday’s relief appearance against Miami. The Bucs’ counterattack ended with a whimper: Ryan Succop’s 55-yard field-goal attempt fell way short, after Tom Brady’s third-down incompletion with him in Nick Bosa’s grasp.
PENALTY HELP
A holding penalty nullified a 68-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Mike Evans on the Bucs’ second possession. With Nick Bosa resting on the sideline, Jordan Willis was held by Donovan Smith, and that rescued a coverage bust in which Talanoa Hufanga appeared to be the safety who left Evans uncovered. Such a deep shot, however, proved eerily reminiscent of the 49ers’ coverage breakdowns in their previous loss, six games ago against the Kansas City Chiefs. Another holding penalty, on Carlton Davis III, nullified a last-minute interception of a Purdy pass in Bucs’ territory.
NINERS’ INJURIES
Aside from Samuel’s ankle injury, here are the 49ers’ other reported casualties:
— Defensive tackle Kevin Givens limped off with an apparent left ankle injury after the Bucs’ third snap.
— Cornerback Dontae Johnson (knee) was ruled out in the third quarter after getting injured on kickoff coverage.
— Cornerback Samuel Womack III was evaluated for a head injury in the third quarter.
— Defensive lineman Kerry Hyder Jr. sustained an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter while pass rushing alongside Bosa.
— Defensive back Jimmie Ward needed medical attention after bringing down Brady on a third-quarter incompletion. Ward earlier was hit in the right ribs by Leonard Fournette’s block.
