Kyle Shanahan picks out the hero of the night as 49ers beat Bears

Sometimes, in sport, tactics boards can be thrown out of the window. The fans creating the atmosphere melts away with the pressure and the athlete vs athlete comes down to one thing: talent.

And for Brock Purdy, he’s got more than most.

The San Francisco 49ers walked away with a dramatic win over the Chicago Bears in a high-scoring contest that felt more like a playoff dogfight than a regular-season game. When it was over, head coach Kyle Shanahan did not hesitate to lay flowers at the feet of one man.

The players had clearly eaten all their vegetables that morning, as the game began in a piranha-like frenzy. On San Francisco’s first offensive effort, a simple pass turned into an interception and an immediate Bears touchdown. But instead of folding, the 49ers responded with composure, quickly settling into a rhythm that turned the evening into a test of nerve and execution, with Purdy leading proceedings.

“Brock’s been playing his ass off... he was an assassin out there”

The 26-year-old was at the centre of everything. He threw with precision, kept plays alive under pressure and repeatedly punished the opposition defence. By the final whistle, his performance stood as one of the most complete outings of his season.

“I thought Brock had a hell of a game, again,” head coach Kyle Shanahan gushed, via the team’s official transcript. “Brock’s been playing his ass off, made some huge plays in this game, kept some drives alive with his legs, made some off-schedule plays, and was an assassin out there throughout the whole day.”

“We’ve earned this,” coach Kyle Shanahan added. “This is the game we want. We love that it’s here. We have an opportunity to never leave here again this year.”

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