The 49ers have been on a roll, but San Francisco will turn to Brock Purdy to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jimmy Garoppolo's regular season was over after suffering a foot injury last Sunday. There reportedly is hope the quarterback can return in the postseason, but Kyle Shanahan will have "Mr. Irrelevant" under center in Week 14 as the 49ers hope to win their sixth-straight game and remain atop of the NFC West.
Brady is fresh off a Week 13 comeback win over the New Orleans Saints as the Buccaneers are leaders of the NFC South, even with a 6-6 record. The 45-year-old will have his hands full against a stout San Francisco defense, which is why Tampa Bay is an underdog in the matchup. The 49ers are a consensus 3.5-point favorite.
Nick Bosa has been the star of the NFL's No. 2 defense by DVOA metrics. The 25-year-old defensive end leads the league in sacks with 14.5 and quarterback hits with 34. The NFL's Instagram account highlighted Bosa's production and asked if he is worthy of Defensive Player of the Year. Brady commented on the post with a plea for Bosa.
"Be nice Sunday," Brady wrote Thursday.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion added in a cold sweat face emoji for added comedic effect, whether intentional or not.
It's safe to say Bosa and the 49ers pass rush won't be taking Brady's advice, which would be a long day for the Buccaneers.
It also will be interesting to watch Purdy on the other side try to go against a person who is double his age. The outcome of the game likely will have big NFC playoff implications, making it one of the must-watch matchups on the Week 14 slate.
