Montana
Purdy a step away from Montana-Young territory after 49ers’ comeback win over Lions
To borrow from a former Raiders CEO, all that’s left in the NFL postseason is one great quarterback and Brock Purdy.
The 49ers have two weeks to worry about a return engagement with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
That gives a small window to revel in a 34-31 win in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium, a game they trailed 24-7 at halftime before they put 27 consecutive points on the board before a delirious home crowd that could scarcely believe its own eyes.
No sense in picking on Amy Trask, the former Raiders exec who said at the outset of the postseason on her podcast there were seven great quarterbacks and Purdy. There are plenty of people nationally who agree with her and will still agree with her — especially if the 49ers lose against the Chiefs and Mahomes on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium.
After the game, confetti rained down and at the victory stand, Purdy wore an ear-to-year smile even if he deflected credit as usual when talking with analyst Michael Strahan of Fox.
“It’s a team sport. We knew we had a half left, defense did their job,” Purdy said. “The boys on offense took care of business, Coach called a great game and we had the Faithful behind us the whole way.”
Fans were chanting “Purdy, Purdy, Purdy” which was in stark contrast to when television microphones picked up a Detroit contingent cheering “Jared Goff, Jared Goff, Jared Goff” before halftime. Earlier in the half, sharp-eyed fans on social media even caught Eminem giving the finger to 49ers fans from a private box.
It was that bad.
The 49ers are no strangers to losing the NFC Championship Game, having lost the last two seasons and 11 times in 18 games coming in. This one looked like it would be the worst, considering how one-sided the game was heading into the third quarter.
While there were myriad moments and heroes for the 49ers, none stood taller than the supposedly undersized Purdy. He was 7 of 15 for 93 yards and an interception that led to a Detroit touchdown at halftime. In the second half, Purdy was 13 of 16 for 174 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled for 49 yards on five carries after having lost a yard on his lone carry of the first half.
Purdy’s mobility was in contrast to Goff, the Marin Catholic and Cal product who went 25 of 41 to 273 yards and a touchdown.
“I thought it was the difference between winning and losing,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Brock competed his ass off today.”
The whole storyline about Purdy not being able to come from behind? He has done it for the last two weeks including a 24-21 divisional playoff win over Green Bay. He lacks the Montana-Young magic? How then to explain a 51-yard strike to Brandon Aiyuk that got the 49ers on their way?
Purdy, whose arm strength contributed to his seventh-round draft standing, actually overthrew Aiyuk only to have the ball bounce off the facemask of a backpedaling Kindle Vildor.
“In that moment, I’m looking at it like, ‘We need a play,’ ” Purdy said. “I’m not going to be stupid and throw the ball up, but B.A. is one-on-one. I’m going to take that (opportunity). Especially in this kind of game, we need that play. I was giving my guy a shot.”
Aiyuk lunged forward and caught the ball out of the air and Vildor’s thigh grazed Aiyuk at the 6-yard line. Three plays later, Purdy threw a 6-yard strike to Aiyuk in the end zone.
“Just like we expected it to look,” tight end George Kittle said. “Off his facemask and we got a big play. Dang, Brock’s good at football isn’t he?”
If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.
It wasn’t a rah-rah halftime speech that turned things around.
“There really wasn’t much said,” Purdy said. “Kyle said a couple of things. Fred (Warner) said a couple of things. But we kept it simple. We went out, we knew what we had to do. The season’s on the line, we’re down 17, and we played really good complementary team football from there.”
As for Purdy’s scrambles — including a 21-yard run on third-and-4 during the drive that put the 49ers up 34-24 — he said he was just doing what was required.
“He scampers,” Kittle said. “Ever see one of those little water dragons running across the water?”
Purdy was matter-of-fact in analyzing of his running ability.
“You drop back, they did a good job with pressures and if there’s someone there, I had to use my legs,” Purdy said. “It’s the NFC Championship and you’ve got to find a way.”
While Purdy said “nothing’s going to be given to us,” the 49ers got a big assist from Detroit coach Dan Campbell, who twice passed up field goal attempts on fourth down that failed in the second half — one on a dropped pass and another when a receiver was open.
Purdy great scramble 🏃♂️ pic.twitter.com/vWVg0iDKoq
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 29, 2024
Campbell, who has rolled the dice all season, was like the cowboy who was insistent about dying with his boots on, the fighter who was going to wade in and go for the knockout when he was ahead on points in the 12th round.
It played into Purdy’s hands. He may not be Mahomes, but at this point it would be hard for 49ers players to doubt their quarterback who makes a fraction of his income. At 24, he’s the youngest quarterback to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl.
“Man, I don’t have enough good things to say about Brock,” running back Christian McCaffrey said. “All he’s done since he’s been here is play at an elite level. Everything starts with him and we’re lucky he’s our quarterback. He takes a lot of heat for absolutely no reason. All he’s done is be a great leader, a great player. I’m so proud of him and pumped up that I get another one with him this year.”
Purdy unfailingly credits his faith win or lose, and the biggest win of his life was no different.
“I’ve never been the biggest, the fastest or the strongest,” Purdy said. “I feel like I’ve always had to fight for what I get but God’s always given me an opportunity . . . getting drafted last, all you need is an opportunity. When I’m down 17 at half, I’m thinking, ‘All right, God, you’ve taken me here. Win or lose I’m going to glorify you.’ That’s my peace. That’s the joy, the steadfastness. That’s where I get it from. And that’s the honest truth.
“I leaned into that, and sure enough we were able to come back.”
ROUNDUP, Mont. —
The Rehder Creek Fire is burning 16 miles southeast of Roundup has grown to about 5,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision.
The fire started Feb. 26, the cause is unknown and containment was at 0%.
Evacuation orders are in effect for all residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision. The Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating the evacuation orders, and 911 reverse calls have been sent out to advise people in the area.
A shelter is opening at the Roundup Community Center. Residents were told to contact Musselshell County DES for further information.
Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The public is asked to avoid the Fattig Creek and Rehder Road area so emergency personnel can safely and effectively perform their work.
Fire resources assigned to the incident include 40 total personnel, 11 engines, one Type 2 helicopter, three tenders and two dozers.
Montana
Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.
This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.
The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.
“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:
We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.
Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”
Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.
According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water.
One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.
At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.
In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.
Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.
ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.
Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.
We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.
The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.
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