49ers

49ers QB Brock Purdy delivered the game-winning touchdown pass in Week 17 over the Bears to WR Jauan Jennings, who took the pass 38 yards to the house. Purdy reflected on the play, saying he was getting ready for the next play before Jennings switched the field on his touchdown run. 

“Yeah, you know, if we had that look, just two-high safety, we had a little answer on the backside with [Jauan Jennings] to be able to get to that part of the field,” Purdy said, via Albert Breer of SI. “And, honestly, I just thought we had a good completion there, a good chunk play, and I was going to get ready for the next play call. But, obviously, he cross-courted it and made a great play to score. So I didn’t really expect that. It was really cool, but it was just J.J. being a football player.”

The 49ers are now 12-4 going into Week 18, riding high on a six-game winning streak. Purdy praised HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch for putting things together. 

“I just think it’s a big testament to Kyle and John and our owners, just the culture that they’ve built here,” Purdy said. “They bring in the right guys every year, whether it’s new draft picks, free agents or whatever. I feel like we’re all just made of the right stuff. And when you go through adversity like that, to be able to have a team still just be scrappy and find ways to win and not just throw in the towel early in the season or midway through, you’ve got big-name guys go down, I don’t know, it’s just a testament to them, building this.”

Purdy said that he tried to keep the same demeanor after receiving his lucrative five-year, $265 million extension last offseason. 

“You can’t overthink it and just randomly decide, Hey, I’m going to be Superman right here, and put the team on my back and do something crazy,” Purdy said. “It’s like, No, it doesn’t matter who’s in the game, I still have to go out and execute as a quarterback that is trusting in Kyle’s play calls and his offense, and trusting that he’s going to put me in a good position to be able to drop back and rip it. And if number one’s not there, I’m going to get to my number two in the progression. That’s how I play the position.”

Rams

Going into the final week of the season, Rams QB Matthew Stafford is near the top of the MVP race alongside Patriots QB Drake Maye. Stafford isn’t concerned with how the voting process plays out, but he does think this year is among the best he’s ever played in his 17-year career. 

“People are going to vote how they want to vote,” Stafford said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “They’re going to say what they want to say. I’m just trying to put as good of a season together as I possibly can. And our last opportunity to do that is coming up this weekend, so I’m excited about that chance.”

“Yeah, I think so. Probably. It’s up there. I think statistically, probably. I don’t know, I haven’t looked at all the other ones, but it’s up there with some of the better ones I’ve played. But the cool thing about that is just because I’ve got such a great group around me.”

Seahawks 

The Seahawks are coming off a 27-10 win over the Panthers in Week 17, where they went into halftime in a low-scoring 3-3 tie. Seattle TE AJ Barner said their “energy was lacking” early on, and they need to start games faster. 

“I think it’s really important after a game like the last one to watch the film and turn the page as quickly as you can, because these games stack, and you gotta be ready to play the next one,” Barner, via Albert Breer of SI. “And, yeah, we gotta start faster. The start wasn’t it. And you do that, you allow their team to beat you. Our energy was lacking.”

At 13-3 going into Week 18 against the 49ers, Seattle has a chance to solidify home-field advantage. Barner knows what playing at Lumen Field means for the postseason. 

“Our home field is such an advantage for us, the 12s, I mean, everyone knows. You come to play us at home, and it’s gonna be real loud,” Barner said. “The big thing, too, is the division. We take pride in our division, we wanna win our division, and if doing that gives us the one seed, great. So it’s a huge game, and obviously a damn good opponent, too, in the Niners. It’s gonna be a great battle. But we’re ready for it.”