Tag: Josh Johnson

George Kittle shared bitter 5-word opinion on 49ers’ QB injury luck after crushing NFC title game loss

Kittle was REALLY upset about the 49ers’ loss.

Almost reach the pinnacle of your sport, and you’re naturally going to be a bit upset at any perceived shortcomings. When it comes to brutal quarterback injuries in the NFC title game (and all season, really), the San Francisco 49ers’ perceived flaws seem to be a bit more factual.

Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle thought as much after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the 49ers to advance to Super Bowl 57 Sunday.

During his post-game press conference, Kittle was asked for a reaction to Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson’s respective ailments ending San Francisco’s Super Bowl hopes. The tight end kept his assessment short, but he did not keep it sweet:

(NSFW language below)

Woof. You can almost taste the bitterness oozing out of Kittle’s words after falling short of February’s Big Game. And, frankly, he’s probably right to feel that way.

While not the most explosive offense without a star quarterback, there’s a feasible reality where the 49ers actually put more than seven points on the board — and hit a pregame over of 20 points — ifbPurdy never gets injured. Instead, San Francisco’s offense with Kittle and Co. was largely lifeless in its biggest game of the season because injuries derailed any real opportunity for a victory.

A tough way to end a great year for a contender.

National reaction to Eagles earning Super Bowl berth after a 31-7 win over 49ers

The Philadelphia Eagles advanced to #SuperBowlLVII and we have all the national reaction from the 31-7 win over the 49ers

The Eagles advanced to Super Bowl 57 with a 31-7 win over the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon.

Jalen Hurts was 15-25 passing for 121 yards, while adding 11 carries for 39 yards and one rushing touchdown.

Miles Sanders had 11 carries for 42 yards and two rushing touchdowns while the Philadelphia defense sacked 49ers passers three times on the afternoon.

With the Eagles awaiting the Bengals-Chiefs winner, here’s the national reaction to Sunday’s win.

Top photos from Eagles 31-7 win over 49ers in NFC Championship Game

The Eagles are headed to #SuperBowlLVII and we have the top 100 photos from Philadelphia’s 31-7 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game

The Eagles are heading back to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years after a 31-7 win over the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

The NFC Champions will now await the winner of Sunday night’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was 15-25 passing for 121 yards passing on the day, as Philadelphia racked up the bulk of their yards on the ground.

Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell both had 40+ yards rushing, while Boston Scott scored a touchdown in his third straight game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was forced to exit the first quarter with an elbow injury and the NFC West champions saw their offense sputter from theirs.

With the Eagles heading to the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, here are the top photos from Sunday’s historic win.

***

Eagles advance to Super Bowl LVII with a 31-7 win over 49ers in NFC Championship Game

The Philadelphia Eagles have advanced to #SuperBowlLVII and they’ll face the Bengals-Chiefs winner after a 31-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers

The Eagles are heading back to the Super Bowl for the second time in five years after a 31-7 win over the 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field.

The NFC Champions will now await the winner of Sunday night’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was 15-25 passing for 121 yards passing on the day, as Philadelphia racked up the bulk of their yards on the ground.

Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell both had 40+ yards rushing, while Boston Scott scored a touchdown in his third straight game.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was forced to exit the first quarter with an elbow injury and the NFC West champions saw their offense sputter from theirs.

Purdy was forced back into action after fourth-string quarterback Josh Johnson suffered a concussion.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”TJo00DRHim-2514246-7498″]

[listicle id=682112]

[listicle id=682088]

The 49ers’ injury situation had fans really wanting to see Christian McCaffrey play quarterback

This would’ve been AMAZING to see!

After what appeared to be a dream season, Sunday’s NFC title game unfolded like a complete disaster for the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan’s bunch looked forward to pushing the Philadelphia Eagles, but an early Brock Purdy “new Tom Brady” fumble changed the entire complexion of this final-four matchup. Because not only did Purdy lose possession, he suffered an elbow injury that appeared to limit his ability to throw the ball.

Have no fear! There was fourth-stringer Josh Johnson! Oh wait, he would also get knocked out of the game. Uh, so … what options did the 49ers have at quarterback, as both Purdy and Johnson seemed incapable of playing?

Why none other than the monstrous tailback Christian McCaffrey (seriously). The 49ers confirmed this possibility when Johnson’s ailment had the 49ers’ staff give McCaffrey a special helmet that could hear the offensive play calls:

Even while they prepped for McCaffrey to take snaps at QB, it seemed the 49ers wanted to avoid this worst-case scenario. A limited Purdy would come back in to take snaps, putting the runner back on ice.

Nevertheless, folks were over the moon at the possibility of a running back in McCaffrey potentially going under center in a conference championship game.

Josh Johnson exits with possible concussion so Brock Purdy returns

The 49ers sent Brock Purdy back in after Josh Johnson was injured

The San Francisco 49ers are having their own quarterback carousel.

And it is a dark ride for the NFC West champions.

Brock Purdy went out in the first quarter with an elbow injury and was replaced by journeyman Josh Johnson, the team’s fourth-string quarterback.

In the third quarter, trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 21-7 on Sunday, Johnson took a hit and was removed from the game.

He went to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion.

Were the 49ers going to resort to Christian McCaffrey as their emergency QB?

For the time being, Purdy returned. He threw a screen pass to McCaffrey that failed to net a first down.

Purdy did not look on that play as if he could throw the ball downfield.

Eagles vs. 49ers: 10 takeaways from the first half as Philadelphia holds a 21-7 lead

We’re looking at ten takeaways from the first half as the Philadelphia Eagles hold a 21-7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game

The Eagles are just 30 minutes of good football away from advancing to Super Bowl 57 after taking a 21-7 lead over the 49ers at the half.

Jalen Hurts was solid, while San Francisco’s star rookie Brock Purdy was forced to exit Sunday’s matchup with an elbow injury after a strip sack by Haason Reddick.

49ers star tight end George Kittle was limited to one catch for nine yards in the first half, while his counterpart, Dallas Goedert, logged five catches for 23 yards on seven targets.

With the second half set to begin, here are 10 takeaways from the first half.

Christian McCaffrey did it all for a 49ers team forced into playing its 4th-string QB

McCaffrey put the 49ers on his BACK!!!

For a time during Sunday afternoon’s NFC title game, the San Francisco 49ers looked dead in the water. After the journeyman underdog story in Brock Purdy would fumble the ball early (and get injured in the process) — drawing comparisons to a “new Tom Brady” — it seemed like the Philadelphia Eagles would be unopposed in notching a berth in Super Bowl 57.

But the NFL’s best defense and, perhaps more importantly, one of the NFL’s best running backs, Christian McCaffrey, got San Francisco up off the mat.

McCaffrey’s Herculean efforts to keep a team playing fourth-stringer Josh Johnson at QB were best exemplified on a late second-quarter TD run.

By my count, that’s four individual Eagles’ defenders humiliated on one ridiculous 23-yard score to tie the game up (at the time). But such brilliance is probably for the course with a star player like McCaffrey.

By the end of the first half, not only had McCaffrey almost hit the over on a pregame over/under of 62.5 rushing yards, he had 73 yards from scrimmage on nine touches. Or, you know, eight yards per touch (along with his one touchdown). Ho-hum!

For a squad that would likely be offensively challenged without its usual QB, the 49ers needed tremendous output like McCaffrey’s to stay alive. Whether they could finish a comeback from 21-7 down is a different story, but your best players have to play like heroes to have a shot.

Fourth-string QB Josh Johnson leads 49ers to Christian McCaffrey TD

Christian McCaffrey is carrying the 49ers offense with Brock Purdy out

In the unlikely season for the San Francisco 49ers, this has to be one of the most unlikely stories in NFL history.

Third-string QB Brock Purdy, who was the first-string QB after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, went down with an elbow injury in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday against the Linc.

On came journeyman Josh Johnson, who has been on 13 or so teams in a whirlwind career.

Johnson knew what to do: give the ball to Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey accounted for 44 of the 46 yards on the 6-play drive that ended with his touchdown.

The Robbie Gould PAT tied the game at 7 in the second quarter.

Josh Johnson, former Bucs draft pick, replaces Brock Purdy in NFC title game

The longtime journeyman is now thrust into the spotlight, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line

One of the NFL’s most intriguing journeymen has been thrust into the spotlight in the NFC title game.

After an elbow injury suffered by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, longtime veteran Josh Johnson has been forced into action Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Johnson was a fifth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2008 NFL draft, after a stellar college career at San Diego. After spending his first four NFL seasons with the Bucs, Johnson would go on to play for 14 different NFL teams, with multiple stops for the same team, and multiple stops in other leagues.

Now, at 36 years old, Johnson finds himself having to save the day for a 49ers team that lost both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo to injury during the regular season, and now could be without their star rookie in Purdy as they try to earn a trip to the Super Bowl.

[listicle id=75452]