In a season full of grim injury news, the San Francisco 49ers received an encouraging update for a change.

A day after Deebo Samuel was carted off the field, the 49ers announced that the versatile wide receiver is expected to return before the end of the regular season.

The 2021 First Team All-Pro selection suffered a sprained left ankle and MCL Sunday when he was taken down awkwardly during San Francisco’s 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Samuel has accounted for 840 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns this season.

When Samuel was carted off the field, many had feared the 49ers had lost another key contributor to a devastating injury after running back Elijah Mitchell, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw and defensive backs Jason Verrett and Jimmie Ward all ended up on injured reserve.

Most notably, quarterback Trey Lance was lost for the season to a broken right ankle in Week 2, while his replacement, Jimmy Garoppolo, will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a foot injury.

The injuries to Lance and Garoppolo have forced the 49ers to turn to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who made his first career start in Sunday’s victory.

Purdy responded by playing brilliantly, accounting for three total touchdowns, but did not get through unscathed, suffering an oblique injury on the second series of the game.

"I think it was a challenge for [Purdy]," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "Just talking to him and seeing him after the game. I think he really toughed it out, did some real good things with it and I know he is sore today."

Purdy and the 49ers (9-4) face a quick turnaround before they play the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night.

Brock Purdy and his family enjoyed a special moment after his stunning performance in his first start for the San Francisco 49ers, which saw him beat Tom Brady in a blowout 35-7 victory.

Purdy impressed when pressed into action in relief of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo last week, helping the Niners to a 33-17 defeat of the Miami Dolphins.

His second act was even more impressive, Purdy completing 16 of his 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for another score.

The seventh-round rookie, the final pick in this year's draft, had the Levi's Stadium crowd in the palm of his hand as the Niners brushed aside the Bucs to move to 9-4.

They chanted his name as the 49ers took complete command in a remarkable first half. His family had prime seats for the occasion, having originally bought tickets before the Garoppolo injury to see Brady play, and the moment was too much for his father, who was pictured in tears as he watched his son make history.

Purdy became the first quarterback to beat seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady in his first start, and was quick to embrace his family as he left the field.

He told his post-game press conference: "I saw them right after the game and, you know, the emotions on their face and just the way they look down at me from up on the railing, it just means a lot because just throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they're the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you.

"And so, they've believed in me even though I was the last draft pick and all that kind of stuff.

"They've always been telling me you're good enough and we know that you can do it. And so, to see them after that performance meant a lot to me and so very blessed to have them as my family."

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan will have no shortage of belief in Purdy, who had an interception negated by a penalty prior to his second touchdown pass, after their destruction of the Bucs.

"I think he did an awesome job. I think all you guys saw that, but he made a ton of plays," said Shanahan. "Made the plays that were there, made some plays that weren't there.

"He did a great job in the pocket. Had one mistake there, he was fortunate that we got that one back.

"He didn't hesitate. I think he threw a touchdown the next play, which was really cool, but it's really impressive how he played and I thought it was similar to the week before.

"They [the Bucs] mix in a lot of pressures, but they do that in every game. Some are to stop the run, some are to come after the quarterback. They mixed up a lot of zone coverages too, so there was no real theme of the day.

"They mixed up a bunch of stuff and he had to go against everything, so he did a good job with the variety of things he saw."

Purdy did suffer an oblique injury, but that was not the reason he was eventually withdrawn from a lopsided game. The 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday with a chance to clinch the NFC West title.

"We'll see how it goes this week," Purdy said of the injury. "Just felt a little tight at the end, just from taking some hits.

"But honestly man, like if I needed to play throughout the rest of the game, I definitely would have. So, I'm going to get some treatment on it and be ready to roll."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles says his side must decide for themselves if they want to be involved in the postseason conversation after a humiliating loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Tom Brady-led Florida outfit were handed a 35-7 drubbing out west at Levi's Stadium, to take them to a 6-7 record for the season.

Though they remain on top of NFC South with a handful of games to go, the prospect of the Buccaneers launching another dynamic run through the playoffs looks slim at best on their current form.

Bowles, who guided the team to glory at Super Bowl LV almost two years ago, says his side need to take a look in the mirror and decide how they will show up for the rest of the campaign.

"We've got to decide what team we want to be," he stated. "We can't be one set of Bucs and another set of Bucs. It's got to mean something.

"Either we want it or we don't. We can't care more than everybody else. As a coach, you don't go out on the field, but we got out-coached, so we're not excused from this at all.

"We got outplayed as well. As a team, as a group, we've got to buckle down and decide what our fate is in the next few weeks."

A superior record over the Carolina Panthers (5-8) means there is still some wiggle room for the Buccaneers, whose fate remains within their own hands.

Wide receiver Mike Evans accepted the team are struggling to make their familiar tactics stick this season, and that it could yet cost them dearly.

"We're just not making plays," he added. "The plays that we're used to making in previous years, we're just not making them as consistent. I don't know what it is. We're just not connecting like we usually do."

Deebo Samuel likely sustained a high ankle sprain rather than a fracture during the San Francisco 49ers' 35-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Samuel's season appeared to be in jeopardy when he was carted off in the first quarter of the 49ers' victory on Sunday, after his knee was trapped and twisted under a mass of bodies.

The All-Pro wide receiver was unable to get to his feet following the concerning incident, but encouraging reports subsequently suggested he had avoided a major injury.

49ers coach Shanahan offered a positive update on Samuel's condition after the win, telling reporters the wide receiver did not suffer a fracture.

Shanahan added Samuel's injury was "most likely" a sprain, though reports said the 26-year-old would undergo tests on Monday.

The 49ers had already established a commanding 21-0 lead before Samuel's injury, and they entered half-time 28-0 up in what represented a dream first start for stand-in quarterback Brock Purdy.

"Everyone knows how much Deebo means to us, but half-time is so hectic and it was awesome to finish that half with the score," Shanahan said of losing Samuel.

"We didn't really do anything differently after half-time."

Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, meanwhile, praised the team's reaction to Samuel's exit.

"We hate to see guys go down, especially one of our leaders like Deebo," he said. "You've just got to go with the punches and just keep fighting and that's what everybody on this team did.

"That's just the type of team that we've got. You get hit in the mouth and you've got to just keep fighting."

Brock Purdy's first start in the NFL was nearly faultless, guiding his San Francisco 49ers to an impressive 35-7 pounding of Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Much was made of the matchup between Purdy – the very last pick in this year's NFL Draft – and legendary Bucs quarterback Brady, with 22-year-old Purdy being born while Brady was still playing college football for the University of Michigan.

But it was totally one-sided in favour of the rookie, as he utilised all the offensive weapons at his disposal to build a 28-0 lead at half-time.

Reigning First Team All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel ran for a 13-yard touchdown. Purdy himself ran one in from two yards, and then the QB threw touchdowns to both Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk to cap a half he will never forget. 

Samuel's day did end on a sour note, however, with the star being carted off due to a serious-looking knee injury.

McCaffrey added his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter to finish the 49ers' scoring, posting 14 carries for 119 yards with another two catches for 34 through the air.

Purdy completed 16 of his 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with no turnovers and no sacks taken.

With the win, the 49ers are now 9-4, and while their Super Bowl dreams were hurt with the injury of Jimmy Garoppolo last week, Purdy's competence will begin to revive those hopes as they continue to lean on the best defense in the league based on opponent points per game.

Chiefs hold on for their 10th win

The Kansas City Chiefs were made to sweat in the final stages of their 34-28 win over the Denver Broncos after some uncharacteristic Patrick Mahomes turnovers.

Kansas City led 27-0 in the second quarter after a pair of Mahomes touchdown passes to Jerick McKinnon were followed by a 47-yard Willie Gay interception return for a touchdown.

An interception from Mahomes gave the Broncos a chance to score their first touchdown late in the second period, and he threw another interception from his very next drive, gifting the Broncos another score.

Jerry Jeudy's third touchdown reception of the game brought the Broncos back to within six points, and a third Mahomes interception gave the Broncos a chance, but they could not complete the unlikely comeback.

Deebo Samuel's season is in jeopardy after being carted off the field while his San Francisco 49ers led 21-0 in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Samuel, who was named First Team All-Pro last season, had already run for one of the 49ers' three touchdowns against the Buccaneers, but his fourth carry of the half resulted in a fumble as his knee got trapped and twisted under a mass of bodies.

He could not get back to his feet, requiring a medical cart to drive him back to the locker room, and there was no update before half-time.

Samuel entered the game with the second-most receiving yards on the team this season (569) and the fourth-most rushing yards (207), contributing five total touchdowns.

His absence thrusts Brandon Aiyuk to the top of the depth chart, however it remains to be seen if the 49ers will use him in the hybrid fashion of Samuel's unique role.

The 49ers reached the end of the first half with a 28-0 lead, with rookie quarterback Brocky Purdy throwing two touchdowns and rushing for one in the first start of his career.

Last week, the 49ers lost quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a near season-ending foot injury, with Trey Lance already sidelined with an ankle injury.

Having helped the San Francisco 49ers past the Miami Dolphins after stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, rookie quarterback Brock Purdy faces the considerable challenge of beating Tom Brady in his first start.

With Garoppolo described as having a "way outside chance" of returning for the playoffs after breaking his foot, the 8-4 Niners' Super Bowl hopes rest in part on the shoulders of a seventh-round pick, who was taken with the final selection of the 2022 draft.

The historical omens for a San Francisco victory in Purdy's first start are very good.

The Buccaneers have a 3-12 (.250) all-time record on the road against the 49ers. Among those with at least five all-time road games versus the Niners, no team has a worse record there than Tampa Bay. 

San Francisco's prospects of improving their already extremely impressive home record against Brady, playing on the road against the Niners for only the second time his glittering career, hinge not only on Purdy, but also a stacked cast of offensive weapons and the NFL's best defense.

Arguably the leading light among those weapons is a player they only acquired in October.

Running back Christian McCaffrey made his first start for the Niners following his trade from the Carolina Panthers in a Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Since that first start, McCaffrey has 67 rushes for 269 yards and 31 catches for 258 yards.

He is one of two NFL players over that span with 60+ rushes and 30+ receptions (Rhamondre Stevenson being the other).

McCaffrey will likely continue to see a significant number of touches as the primary safety net for Purdy, who will also have significant support from a defense that forced four turnovers against one of the NFL's most explosive offenses in the win over Miami.

The 49ers prevailed 33-17 in that Week 13 clash. They have won five straight games while holding opponents to 17 or fewer points in each contest. It is the fourth such streak in team history, and the first since a six-game streak in the 1992 season.

With Tampa Bay averaging just 18.1 points per game, the 49ers should be confident of limiting Brady and Co.

Even if they do so, they may still need Purdy to ensure the game is not close in the fourth quarter, Brady having led the Bucs back from a 13-point deficit in the final period against the New Orleans Saints on Monday.

Brady has thrown nine of his 16 touchdowns (56.3 per cent) in the fourth quarter this season. Among 27 quarterbacks with at least 10 passing touchdowns this season, Brady is the only one with at least half of his touchdowns coming in the final frame.

The San Francisco 49ers looked destined to contend for a Super Bowl because of their astute move to invest in a quarterback insurance policy for Trey Lance.

Now with Jimmy Garoppolo, whom they kept around after attempting to trade away, likely also on the shelf for the rest of the season with a broken foot, the NFL world is left wondering whether one of the best rosters in the league can still go deep in the postseason with rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy at quarterback.

The early signs are promising, with Purdy stepping in for Garoppolo against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13 and producing a composed display in a 33-17 win that pushed the Niners' record to 8-4.

An enforced switch from Garoppolo to Purdy, the last pick in this year's draft, is an obvious downgrade, but how does it impact the 49ers' hopes of reaching the playoffs and Super Bowl?

Stats Perform can answer that question by looking at its rest-of-season (ROS) projection.

To generate the ROS predictions, every future game is projected to give a predicted win percentage for each team across its remaining games. The projections are calculated by looking at each team's quarterback and performance in terms of yards added in expected passing situations as well as team values for pass protection/pass rush, skill position players/coverage defenders and run blocking/run defense.

The projected win percentages are then aggregated to produce the forecasted standings, which suggest all is not lost for the 49ers.

Still Purdy Good

Purdy was poised, decisive and accurate after replacing Garoppolo, fostering hope he can help keep the 49ers in the Super Bowl hunt despite his inexperience at the highest level.

The ROS projection does not see the Niners winning the Super Bowl, giving San Francisco less than a one per cent chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy with Purdy under center.

However, the 49ers are still given an average win total of 10.5, putting them as the third seed as NFC West champions. With the division rival Seattle Seahawks projected to win 9.76 and end the season as the sixth seed, it would set up a mouthwatering Wild Card matchup.

The 49ers have done most of the hard work in their playoff pursuit and have a dominant defense that ranks first in EVE (our Efficiency Versus Expected metric).

As such, the Niners are still likely to make the playoffs, with ROS giving them a 95 per cent shot. What happens after that is up in the air with Purdy at the helm.

Chiefs Still Reign

The Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 dropped them out of the No. 1 seed in the AFC, with the Buffalo Bills once again in control of the conference.

ROS, though, expects the Chiefs to reassume the top spot by the end of the season.

The Chiefs are given a projected average win total of 12.8, the highest in the AFC and ahead of the Bills' 12.4.

On the NFC side, ROS does not project any slip-ups from the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles, who are predicted to win 15.1 games and finish well clear of the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. The Eagles also have an NFL-best 35 per cent chance of winning the Super Bowl, with the Chiefs second at 18.8 per cent. 

If this projection is accurate, Dallas would face the prospect of playing the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in the Wild Card round despite a 12-win campaign.

A dangerous Wild Card

ROS still appears to lack belief in the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals despite a third successive win over the Chiefs.

Cincinnati are predicted to finish second in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens with a projected average win total of 10.42. The margin is razor-thin, though, with the Ravens' total at 10.43.

The Bengals have just a 2.4 per cent chance to win the Super Bowl, according to the projection.

Yet with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense catching fire in recent weeks, the Bengals loom as an extremely dangerous potential Wild Card team and the projected addition of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets to the playoffs would make for one of the most fascinating AFC postseasons in recent memory.

By contrast, the recent tie between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders is unlikely to strike fear into the heart of any NFC contenders. They will renew acquaintances in Week 15, and it is the former who is projected to ultimately win out in their battle for the seventh seed and seal a Wild Card clash with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Giants have an average projected win total of 8.3 compared to 8.2 for the Commanders as the projection suggests a losing record will be good enough for at least one team to reach the postseason.

Only five weeks remain in the NFL regular season and places in the playoffs are still up for grabs heading into Week 14.

Come Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings could all have booked their spot in the postseason should things go their way, while others could officially see their hopes ended.

Crucial meetings are set to take place between a number of playoff contenders, including divisional rivals the Eagles and the New York Giants.

Elsewhere, the in-form San Francisco 49ers host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the New York Jets face a Vonte Miller-less Bills in Buffalo.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-5) @ Buffalo Bills (9-3)

In Week 9, the Jets ended a four-game losing streak against the Bills to win 20-17, but Buffalo stand 7-3 in their last 10 meetings at home, winning each of the last two by double-digit margins.

In the defeat to the Vikings last week, Mike White had 369 passing yards and zero touchdowns; becoming the first Jets quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards without a touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, the Bills have been strong at home this season with just one defeat in Buffalo – coming in overtime to the Vikings in Week 10. They have averaged 33.4 points per game at home this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.8 points.

An intriguing second half is on the cards, with the Bills holding a +48 points differential this season, the third-best ratio in the NFL, while the Jets rank fourth with a +44 differential.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) @ New York Giants (7-4-1)

Despite two consecutive wins against the Eagles at home, the Giants stand at 6-13 against the Eagles since 2003.

Standing 5-0 on the road this season, the Eagles are looking to tie a team record for consecutive road wins to start a season, set in 2001. Eight of the last 10 NFL teams to finish unbeaten on the road have gone on to reach the Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts has thrown 20 touchdowns this season and has rushed for nine more, throwing just three interceptions, with no NFL quarterback ever finishing a campaign with 20+ passing TDs, 8+ rushing TDs and five or fewer interceptions.

This season, the Giants are the only NFL team not to allow a single offensive touchdown of at least 35 yards. Since 1940, the only year the Giants did not give up a single such touchdown was in 1994.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

Of teams to have played at least five games on the road against the 49ers, none have a worse record than the Buccaneers, who have won just three of 15 clashes in San Francisco (3-12).

The 49ers are on a strong run, having won five straight games while holding opponents to 17 or fewer points – the fourth such streak in franchise history and the first since a six-game stint in the 1992 season.

A comeback victory for the Buccaneers against New Orleans last week saw Tampa Bay overturn a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, the Buccaneers had lost their previous 62 such games, stretching back to the 2010 season.

Tom Brady has thrown 56.3 per cent of his touchdown passes this season in the fourth quarter (nine of 16). Among the 27 quarterbacks to have at least 10 passing TDs this season, he is the only one to have at least half of his coming in the final frame.

Miami Dolphins (8-4) @ Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)

The Dolphins stand 12-4 against the Chargers since 1995 but saw a five-game winning streak halted by a 33-17 loss on the road against the 49ers, where they had a season-low 33 rushing yards from eight carries – the fewest attempts in a game in Dolphins history.

Tyreek Hill remains a significant threat, tallying 146 yards in Week 13 to reach six 100-yard receiving games this season – the second-best total in a single season, behind only Mark Duper with eight in 1993.

Meanwhile, the Chargers lost to the Raiders last week despite leading 13-10 at half-time. That was their fourth loss this season in games where they have led at the interval, the second most in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos.

The two teams are second and fifth respectively in the NFL in terms of highest percentage of plays from passing attempts, but the Dolphins are first in pass yards per attempt (8.51), while the Chargers are 28th (6.52).

Elsewhere…

The Houston Texans travel to face the Dallas Cowboys, with the last two meetings between the teams going to overtime. There have been three instances of teams playing three consecutive games with overtime, most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons from 2002-2010.

The Tennessee Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars boasting a 9-1 record going back to 2017, the fifth-best record by any team against a division opponent in that span.

The Cleveland Browns head to Cincinnati on a five-game win streak against the Bengals, their best run against any opponent since rejoining the NFL in 1999.

The Minnesota Vikings are 10-2 this season despite being outgained by an average of 62.8 yards per game and head to Detroit to face the Lions, with the last four meetings all decided by four points or fewer.

Kyle Shanahan is not counting on seeing Jimmy Garoppolo back on the field for the San Francisco 49ers this season.

Quarterback Garoppolo broke his foot in the first quarter of Sunday's 33-17 win over the Miami Dolphins and head coach Shanahan confirmed a report from Tuesday that he did not suffer a Lisfranc injury that would require surgery.

Without the need for surgery and without any ligament damage, the timeline to recover from a fractured foot is in the seven-to-eight week range.

It was then being reported that he could be able to return for a Divisional Round game or the NFC Championship game, should the 49ers make it that far.

While his foot may be healed by the middle of January, Shanahan said he is not going to be ready to get back on the field from such an injury. 

'"There's that way outside chance late in the playoffs or something like that,'' Shanahan said on Wednesday. 

"'But it's just an outside chance. I'm not really real optimistic about that. But they didn't rule it out.

"'I know it's a serious injury that will likely keep him out for the year. It's really good news that there's no ligament damage or anything so he'll be fine once the broken bone heals.''

There is also the fact to consider if the 49ers are still alive in the second or third week of the playoffs, that Garoppolo’s replacement, Brock Purdy, is more than likely playing well enough.

After Garoppolo was injured against the Dolphins, Purdy capped his first drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Juszczyk to put the 49ers ahead.

He threw another three-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey, and finished the day 25 of 37 for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against a defense that attempted to unsettle him with blitzes.

Purdy, who was the last pick of this year's draft, had just attempted nine passes in his career prior to facing the Dolphins, and now gets a full week of preparation in practice with San Francisco's deep group of playmakers led by McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk.

''We're trying not to make a drastic change,'' Shanahan said. ''They have a similar skill set. We got a lot of confidence in Brock. We've seen him in practice. That's why we were confident enough. 

"He hasn't played a ton football, so there is some unknown out there. But we know he's got the ability to do it. We know he's got the mentality to do it.''

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could be in line to return for the postseason after a report suggested he would not require surgery on his broken left foot.

Garoppolo stayed down after being sacked by both Jaelan Phillips and Jerome Baker during the 49ers' 33-17 win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

It was subsequently said he had broken bones in his foot which would likely require surgery, giving rise to fears his season was over.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan described the blow of losing his starting quarterback as "crushing", but his fears may yet be allayed, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The report claims Garoppolo avoided a Lisfranc injury and will not require surgery, potentially opening the door to his return to the field within seven to eight weeks.

If Garoppolo was to return within seven weeks, he could feature in any potential NFC Divisional Round game for San Francisco, while the NFC Championship game takes place one week later.

Super Bowl LVII, meanwhile, will take place another two weeks down the line, potentially giving Garoppolo the chance to win his third Super Bowl title.

On Monday, Shanahan indicated Garoppolo's injury may not be as bad as first feared, but was unwilling to speculate until he could give an official diagnosis.

"They're still trying to work through it," Shanahan said. "Some specialists have to finalise it, so we don't want to give you guys any false information. 

"They're discussing all those things, but we're feeling like it's starting to get better than that, so we'll see when we get the official information."

With any potential return for Garoppolo some time away, the 49ers will rely on Brock Purdy – the final pick in this year's draft – to fill the void following an encouraging display against the Dolphins.

On Monday, Shanahan refuted suggestions the 49ers could not compete for honours with Purdy in a starting role, saying: "He's decisive. He started for years [at Iowa State] at a high level. 

"You gotta have some balls to play quarterback in this league, and he does. We think we'll have a chance with him."

Kyle Shanahan believes the San Francisco 49ers will still "have a chance" with quarterback Brock Purdy after he was thrust into the starting role following a season-ending injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo suffered a broken foot on the 49ers' first drive of their thrilling 33-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, which maintained San Francisco's one-game lead atop the NFC West at 8-4.

Purdy was the final pick in the draft this year, earning him the tag 'Mr Irrelevant', but he is now the focus of San Francisco's season after an encouraging performance in relief of Garoppolo.

The former Iowa State quarterback completed 25 of his 37 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, the Niners outscoring the Dolphins 30-10 after Garoppolo left the game as San Francisco's top-ranked defense rattled Tua Tagovailoa and the NFL's most explosive offense.

Now the 49ers, a team who had Super Bowl aspirations with Garoppolo under center after he took over from injured 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance, must try to achieve their goals with Purdy under center.

While most may believe their hopes are now over, Shanahan is not giving up.

"What impressed me about Brock in [training] camp," Shanahan said, "is he was always willing to let it rip.

"He's decisive. He started for years [at Iowa State] at a high level. You gotta have some balls to play quarterback in this league, and he does. We think we'll have a chance with him."

Purdy will this week prepare for his first start, which will come against the man regarded as the greatest of all time, Tom Brady, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Pretty cool," Purdy told King when asked about going against Brady. "The GOAT. He's been playing football longer than I've been alive."

But Purdy knows he will not have to do it alone, as he enters arguably the best offensive ecosystem in the NFL with Shanahan calling the plays for an attack stacked with weapons, and he also has the assistance of a defense that forced three turnovers from Tagovailoa as the 49ers beat a team led by former offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.

"I know the question is, can I step in and continue this ride of what our team has done?" added Purdy.

"It's not just a one-man show or anything like that. What Jimmy did for this team was amazing in terms of getting it rolling and getting us on a streak to win.

"The challenge for me is like, man, can I step up in that position and continue to feed those guys? Get them the ball. Make the right checks in the run game. Allow the defense to play great and play with them. That's the challenge for me and that's how I look at it and I'm excited for it."

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa downplayed the severity of an ankle injury that forced him out late in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Tagovailoa, who completed 18 of 33 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns with three turnovers, did not partake in the Dolphins' final drive and was listed as questionable to return.

That came after being listed on the injury report during the week with an ankle injury although he was able to fully participate in team practices.

"As good as I can be coming off a game," Tagovailoa told reporters after Sunday's defeat. "We'll assess some things but as good as I can be."

Tagovailoa's two interceptions came on successive passes in the third quarter. The third-year quarterback had given up three turnovers all season coming into Week 13.

The result leaves the Dolphins with an 8-4 record, with the Buffalo Bills on top of the AFC East with a 9-3 record fueled by a three-game win streak.

The Dolphins' own five-game win streak was ended by the 49ers and Tagovailoa lamented his performance.

"It sucks," he said. "It sucks that we didn't come out and do what we wanted to do as a team.

"Obviously, it starts with me - turnovers, with third-down communication errors. In that retrospect, it's hard to win a game when you're not on your P's and Q's and you're not dialed in.

"A lot of that has to do with understanding what we're trying to accomplish and what we're trying to do. It was definitely a poor performance from my part in that aspect of the game."

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan called it "crushing" to lose starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the rest of the season after he broke his foot in Sunday's 33-17 win against the Miami Dolphins.

Garoppolo's injury came on the 49ers' eighth offensive play of the game, when he was sacked by both Jaelan Phillips and Jerome Baker to end their first drive. He stayed down, and ended up being carted off the field and promptly ruled out.

After the game it was revealed he had sustained broken bones in his foot, requiring season-ending surgery.

Starting the campaign as the third-string quarterback, Brock Purdy came in and threw two touchdown passes, managing the game efficiently before the 49ers' defense snagged a fumble-return touchdown to pull away.

Shanahan said it hurts to lose Garoppolo, but gave plenty of respect to Purdy for the performance.

"Just hearing it, it was pretty crushing," he told reporters. "We know what Jimmy has been through, how hard he's worked at this. He'll be out. He'll need surgery, broke a few things in there.

"Brock came in and made some big plays. We've got to clean some stuff up, obviously, but just throwing him in there in the heat of battle like that, [with] how much [all-out pressure] that team did, too, which you guys can see.

"We were having to change a lot of stuff on the fly, so putting a lot of pressure on [Purdy] in that way. I thought he did a hell of a job doing it. Protected the ball well, didn't have any turnovers and made some big plays too that I thought weren't there always."

The 49ers ruled out any possibility for Week 1 starter Trey Lance returning in time for a playoff run, meaning it will be Purdy the rest of the way, and he will make his first career start next week when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town.

"It’s gonna be pretty cool," Purdy said. "[Brady] has been playing football longer than I’ve been alive."

In fact, Brady played his final college game at Michigan four days after 22-year-old Purdy was born.

Defensive captain Fred Warner showed no signs of panic after he heard the news of Purdy's rise to the top of the depth chart, saying all his repetitions against this incredible 49ers defense in practice should have him ready.

"He's played against the best defense in the league for the past 13 weeks," he said. "He'll be fine."

The Cincinnati Bengals had strong contributions from all facets of their offense to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 on Sunday.

In a rematch from last season's AFC Championship game – where the Bengals beat the Chiefs to advance to the Super Bowl – quarterback Joe Burrow was at his sharpest.

The 25-year-old former top overall draft pick completed 25 of his 31 passes, including touchdown passes to Tee Higgins in the second quarter and Chris Evans in the last, with Evans' score putting the Bengals up for good.

In his return from a five-game injury absence, last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja'Marr Chase picked up right where he left off as Burrow's top option, catching seven passes for 97 yards, but backup running back Samaje Perine was even more influential.

Perine was used heavily in the fourth quarter as the Bengals looked to claw their way back from a deficit, with three of his six catches coming on their go-ahead touchdown drive, finishing with 49 yards through the air and another 106 on the ground from 21 carries.

It was not the best game from Chiefs quarterback and MVP favourite Patrick Mahomes, with 223 yards and one touchdown, as the Bengals committed to dropping eight defenders into coverage all game, forcing the Chiefs to accept small gains instead of their usual chunk-plays.

With the win, the Bengals are now 8-4, joining the Baltimore Ravens in a tie for the AFC North lead, while the Chiefs are three games clear atop the AFC West at 9-3.

Purdy party keeps the 49ers rolling

Brock Purdy was able to deliver a big 33-17 win for the San Francisco 49ers against the Miami Dolphins, but it came at a cost.

Purdy, the very last pick in this year's NFL Draft, was called upon when starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off and ruled out during their first drive of the game. Garoppolo has been diagnosed with a broken foot, with the team saying afterwards that it will end his season.

Almost a lock for the playoffs now at 8-4 with arguably the best defense in the league, the 49ers will need Purdy to get up to speed in a hurry if they still have dreams of a Super Bowl run, and he was solid against the Dolphins, completing 25 of his 37 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.