49ers fans stay faithful despite crushing loss to Eagles
SAN FRANCISCO -- It wasn't the game anyone among the Niner Faithful was expecting. While fans were hoping they could get to the Super Bowl with a third-string quarterback, the 49ers ended up with no fully functioning quarterback at all.
The morning started out full of unbridled enthusiasm -- especially for 6-year-old Sage Douville.
"I am very excited for this game today," he said. "This is the best day I've ever been to. This is like a whole big game -- just, like, whoaa!"
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That summed up the mood of the fans who arrived at the official Niners watch party in downtown San Francisco. The season began on a sour note: several early defeats plus the loss of not just one but two quarterbacks. Then things turned around in a most unlikely Cinderella story starring Brock Purdy.
"I mean, my nerves are shot. My anxiety's at an all time high. I'm ready, I'm ready to go to the Super Bowl, dude," said San Francisco resident Myles Reinert. He admitted how long the odds were for that to happen.
"When you lose your first string quarterback and then you lose your second string quarterback, your season is usually over. Ours is the complete opposite. You know, it's just a dream season," Reinert said. "I don't want this to end. I don't want this to ever end. I just want it to keep going."
The Eagles scored first but the crowd stayed fired up thanks to the solid play by the 49ers defense. The real blow came quickly when Purdy was hurt on the Niners' opening drive. The game stayed close and a rushing touchdown by Christian McCaffrey gave the 49er Faithful renewed hope. But, after two quick Eagles scores at the end of the half, fans had to dig deep to find any optimism.
"Well, you know, it's the playoffs," said Juan Santamaria. "That's what it is, it's drama. Things don't go to script all the time. But now the 49ers need to come back from that!"
"This is my city and I like my team but we need to come back," said 10-year-old Niners fan Isayah Wadley. "I want them to come back because I'm trying to go to the Super Bowl."
But it was not to be. Things went from bad to worse. After fourth-string quarterback Josh Johnson was sidelined with a head injury, there was no one left to find any magic.
"You know, we're not even supposed to be here with this quarterback so, even if we lose, I think it's a pretty good season," said fan Ivan Padilla.
It was a good season, certainly a season no one expected. Ups and downs, highs and lows, next man up but, ultimately, it was too high a hurdle for the beaten-up home team to clear.
"We had a beautiful ride. It was great," said a die-hard Niners fan known as Peachy Leachy. "They had to take out all our quarterbacks so we could have a chance to win it and all our quarterbacks were gone, we didn't have a chance. That's what I feel."
Football is a game where only one team really ends the season happy. Niners fans will have to wait for next year but at least they know their team left everything they had on the field.