Rob Issa, FISM News
Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy outplayed Tom Brady, as his 49ers demolished the Bucs in the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s Bay Area homecoming.
Purdy, who was chosen with the last pick in the draft by San Francisco, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the 49ers to a 35-7 rout over Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Brock Purdy first career rushing touchdown on his first NFL start! pic.twitter.com/FU3OiRIY8B
— OutCYde the Lines (@OutCYdetheLines) December 11, 2022
Brady, who grew up rooting for the 49ers in nearby San Mateo, Calif., had two interceptions in one of his worst games of the season.
“I grew up watching him, seeing him make plays and win Super Bowls, so to be out on the same field and being able to compete against one another, it’s literally a dream come true,” Purdy said. “I’m very blessed and honored to play against him.”
The 49ers (9-4) lead the NFC West while the Buccaneers (6-7) remain first in the NFC South despite a losing record.
Eagles 48 – Giants 22
In East Rutherford, N.J., the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a playoff berth with a 48-22 win over the New York Giants. Jalen Hurts threw two TD passes and ran for another as the Eagles improved to 12-1.
Chargers 23 – Dolphins 17
In Inglewood, Calif., Justin Herbert had a season-high 367 yards passing and one TD to help the Los Angeles Chargers defeat the Miami Dolphins 23-17.
Tua Tagovailoa had the worst game of his NFL career for Miami, completing just 10-of-28 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown.
Lions 34 – Vikings 23
In Detroit, Jared Goff tossed three TD passes and the Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings 34-23 to earn their fifth win in six games after starting 1-6.
Kirk Cousins threw for 425 yards for the Vikings, who remain first in the NFC North at 10-3. Justin Jefferson has 11 catches for a franchise-record 223 yards receiving.
Bills 20 – Jets 12
In Orchard Park, N.Y., Josh Allen tossed a TD pass and ran for a score as the Buffalo Bills beat the New York Jets 20-12 to strengthen their grip on the top spot in the AFC East.
Jets quarterback Mike White twice left the game with injuries to his ribs as the team dropped its fourth game in the last six to fall to 7-6.
Jaguars 36 – Titans 22
In Nashville, Tenn., Trevor Lawrence had a career-high 368 yards passing with three TDs and ran for a score, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 36-22 win over the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans (7-6) have lost three straight games but remain first in the AFC South.
Cowboys 27 – Texans 23
In Arlington, Texas, Dak Prescott drove the Cowboys 98 yards in the final minutes and Ezekiel Elliott scored the go-ahead touchdown with 41 seconds remaining to lift Dallas to a 27-23 comeback win over the Houston Texans.
The lowly Texans (1-11-1) had a chance to seal the game after intercepting Prescott’s pass and starting inside Dallas’ 10 with 5:37 left but backup quarterback Jeff Driskel was stopped on a fourth-down run.
Bengals 23 – Browns 10
In Cincinnati, Joe Burrow tossed two TD passes and led the Bengals to a 23-10 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Burrow had lost his first four games against Cleveland. Deshaun Watson threw his first touchdown pass in 707 days and finished 26-of-42 for 276 yards.
Chiefs 34 – Broncos 28
In Denver, Patrick Mahomes overcame three interceptions, throwing for 352 yards and three scores to help the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Denver Broncos 34-28.
The Chiefs (10-3) led 27-0 in the second quarter before Russell Wilson rallied the Broncos with three TD passes in a 3 1/2-minute stretch. Wilson left the game after suffering a concussion.
Ravens 16 – Steelers 14
In Pittsburgh, third-string QB Anthony Brown stepped in when backup Tyler Huntley entered concussion protocol and helped guide the Baltimore Ravens to a 16-14 win over the Steelers.
J.K. Dobbins ran for 120 yards and a touchdown in his return from a knee injury, and the Ravens improved to 9-4.
The Steelers lost quarterback Kenny Pickett to concussion protocol and backup Mitch Trubisky threw three interceptions.
Panthers 30 – Seahawks 24
In Seattle, Sam Darnold threw a TD pass, Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear both had rushing TDs, and the Carolina Panthers beat the Seahawks 30-24.
The Panthers (5-8) remain in the mix for the NFC South at just one game behind the Buccaneers.
The Seahawks (7-6) face the 49ers this week on Thursday night in an important NFC West matchup.