Maiocco’s observations: Purdy, Pearsall shine in 49ers’ loss to Lions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — Unlike the last time these teams met, there essentially was nothing at stake Monday night at Levi’s Stadium. But the 49ers and Detroit Lions put on a show worthy of, well, an NFC Championship Game. Brock Purdy, who made all …

Getty Images The first round of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is in the books, and a slew of highly anticipated quarterfinal matchups are on deck over the course of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. While there wasn’t much drama during the first-round slate, the hope is that business picks up as we move to bowl sites …

An elbow injury sidelined San Francisco’s Brock Purdy late in the fourth quarter of the 49ers’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night after the quarterback took a sack in the final minutes. Purdy is now dealing with a nerve issue in his throwing elbow, head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game at Levi’s Stadium. His status for …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Former Wyomissing star J’ven Williams remains optimistic and patient as he continues trying to crack the starting lineup in Penn State’s offensive line. “This season has been really good for me,” Williams said at the Fiesta Bowl Media Day. “It’s been a learning opportunity. There’s been a whole bunch of learning.” The 6-5, 310-pound Williams was the …

The NFC playoff picture is starting to become clearer as Week 17 nears its end. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings will play for the No. 1 seed next week, while the Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up the NFC East and the No. 2 seed with their win on Sunday.  The Los Angeles Rams clinched the NFC West. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – As he jogged onto the field to take his first college snap, Ethan Grunkemeyer surveyed Beaver Stadium and the 106,013 fans, almost all wearing white. The scene was something he will never forget. “It was surreal,” Grunkemeyer said at the Fiesta Bowl during his first media availability at Penn State. “I was kind of looking around, taking …

Purdy injures elbow in 49ers’ loss, dealing with ‘nerve stuff’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The 49ers walked off the Levi’s Stadium field with a loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday, and a potentially serious injury to quarterback Brock Purdy. The star signal-caller left the game late in the fourth quarter of San Francisco’s 40-34 defeat, and …

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The initial practice of the 2025 Under Armour All-America Game week went down on Monday night and Rivals was on hand to see the elite recruits and those set to make a move up the rankings. We look at those off to a strong start right out of the gate. MORE FROM ORLANDO: Zahir Mathis …

Getty Images Welcome to the Week 17 grades! There’s always a lot of drama in the NFL over the final two weeks of the season, and that was definitely the case in Week 17. The biggest surprise came in New York, where the Giants pulled off a stunner with a 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts.  It was the shocker …

The No. 6 seed Penn State Nittany Lions will try to keep their national championship hopes alive when they face the No. 3 seed Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl during the 2024 College Football Playoff quarterfinals on Tuesday night. Penn State lost to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, but it responded with a 38-10 win over No. …

It’s not new for the Baltimore Ravens during the Lamar Jackson era to go into the playoffs looking like they were ready to win a Super Bowl. Baltimore was probably the NFL’s best team at the end of the 2019 and 2023 seasons but the Ravens fell short in the playoffs and didn’t reach a Super Bowl. It’s hard to …

LAKE BUENA VISTA. Fla. — Practice number one is in the books at the Under Armour Next All-America Bowl. It was a lighter practice but there was still plenty to learn from the evening. Rivals is taking a look at a handful of rankings questions from day one. MORE FROM ORLANDO: Stock risers after Monday’s practice | Zahir Mathis remains …

The 49ers had three touchdowns in the first half. The Lions had two and were stopped at the San Francisco 8 on another drive. The Lions opened the second half with a 10-play, 66-yard drive to tie it up. Jared Goff threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta on third-and-goal, and Goff then hit Tim Patrick on …

A star-studded showdown is set to take place when Oregon battles Ohio State in the 2025 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. These teams played in one of the most thrilling games of the regular season, a game in which Oregon won 32-31 on Oct. 12. The Buckeyes are coming off a dominant 42-17 victory over Tennessee in the first …

The 49ers have scored more than 20 points in only one of their previous seven games. They scored 21 in the first half Monday night. San Francisco scored on three of four first-half possessions, with Jake Moody missing a 51-yard field goal try wide right with two seconds left in the half. The 49ers, who have yet to punt, lead …