 |
| Brock Purdy. AP Photo |
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Deebo Samuel was stunned to be so wide open for San Francisco's first touchdown of the game. A few quarters later, Christian McCaffrey had enough time to catch a deep pass, fall to the turf, then scramble to his feet and run for a 41-yard touchdown.
Brock Purdy's return to the desert as the 49ers quarterback was everything he ever dreamed — especially since Arizona's defense was in a helpful mood.
McCaffrey scored three touchdowns, Samuel added two scores, and the 49ers clinched the NFC West title by pushing their winning streak to six games with a 45-29 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
“In high school, I'd come watch the Cardinals, and now I'm playing on the field,” Purdy said. “It's so cool. Definitely something I'll look back on in life and be thankful.”
Purdy — making his first NFL start at State Farm Stadium, which is about 45 miles from where he grew up — completed 16 of 25 passes for 242 yards and tied a career high with four touchdowns. He also shook off a hard hit in the second quarter that caused him to miss a few plays.
