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49ers playoff win (AP Photos)
San Francisco 49ers playoff win defined the opening moments of Sunday night, not just on the scoreboard but in spirit. Brock Purdy stood calm inside a storm that threatened to break his team apart.
The Wild Card clash in Philadelphia tested everything the 49ers believed about themselves. Noise rained down, bodies fell, and momentum swung hard.
Yet Purdy never blinked. From the first snap, the message was clear. This team was not traveling home quietly.By the second quarter, the challenge turned cruel. George Kittle, the emotional engine of the offense, went down clutching his Achilles. Silence cut through the stadium.
Losing a Pro Bowl leader in a playoff game usually ends stories. For San Francisco, it sharpened resolve. On the sideline, wives Jenna Purdy and Claire Kittle stood together, pain and pride sharing the same frame. That image said as much as the final score.
49ers WAGs steal spotlight in Philadelphia as Jenna Purdy and Claire Kittle celebrate win despite devastating injury blow
Kittle’s exit could have folded a lesser group. Instead, it lit a fire. True to form, he urged teammates forward as trainers worked around him. The message stuck. The 49ers leaned on discipline, patience, and belief.
Purdy answered pressure with poise, spreading the ball and trusting his reads. When the fourth quarter arrived, the moment belonged to him.Facing the defending champions on their field, Purdy delivered the decisive strike. His touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey sealed a 23-19 win that felt heavier than numbers suggest. It was earned inch by inch. It was earned without fear.

Jenna Purdy and Claire Kittle celebrate gritty 49ers playoff win ( Jenna Purdy/Instagram)
Off the field, emotion poured out in quieter ways. Claire Kittle, shattered inside, stayed present for every snap.
Celebration did not erase loss, but it honored effort. Later, even in heartbreak, Kittle found humor. He asked for a bottle of tequila in the locker room, a fitting touch for a player who refuses to let pain define him.This victory did not happen in isolation. San Francisco has lived with doubt all season. Key defenders missed long stretches. An offseason reset raised eyebrows. Injuries kept piling up. None of it stopped them from winning 12 games.
Sunday simply continued that pattern.Now, the road leads north to Seattle for the NFC divisional round. The deck will again be stacked against the 49ers. They will travel without their vocal leader. Still, no one doubts who they are. Claire and George Kittle will be there, cheering every big play. Brock Purdy will lead. And this team, battered but unbroken, will keep going.Also Read: George Kittle injury sparks panic in San Francisco as tight end leaves Eagles game on a cart




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