Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: 49ers WR Demarcus Robinson 🏆
The Cincinnati Reds (53-58) fell 8-2 to the San Francisco Giants (56-57) on Sunday afternoon.
Here are our postgame takeaways:
Carson Spiers Solid Outing
Spiers was cruising right along through three innings before Matt Chapman hit a two-run home run in the fourth to tie the game at two. In the sixth, LaMonte Wade Jr. hit a solo home run to give the Giants a 3-2 off Spiers, a ball that was a home run in only four parks in Major League Baseball. Spiers tossed 5 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five. The right-hander has an ERA of 3.59 this season.
Missed Opportunities for the Offense
The Reds got off to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Jeimer Candelario and Santiago Espinal hit back-to-back home runs.
In the fifth, Espinal stole third base to give the Reds a runner on third with less than two outs. Luke Maile and Jonathan India both struck out to end the inning.
In the sixth, Elly De La Cruz stole third base with only one out in the inning. Ty France struck out and TJ Friedl grounded out to end the Reds’ threat.
The Reds offense had just four hits all game long.
Fernando Cruz’s Struggles Continue
Coming into the game, Fernando Cruz has really struggled over the past month. Since July 3, he had an ERA of 9.00 and opponents were hitting .314 against him during that time.
His struggles continued on Sunday afternoon. With a man on first and the Reds trailing 3-2, Cruz entered in the eighth and gave up a two-run home run to Matt Chapman. Cruz did not record an out before being pulled. His ERA is up to 5.08 on the season.
Up Next
The Reds and Marlins will face off in a four-game series starting at 6:40 ET on Monday.
News and Notes
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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle finished a bottle of top-shelf tequila after tearing his Achilles in the 49ers’ eventual 23-19 wild-card victory in Philadelphia Sunday night, according to The Athletic.
Kittle, who popped his Achilles in the second quarter, requested it after the injury, and a San Francisco employee was seen delivering a bottle of Patron to the 49ers’ locker room.
The bottle reportedly was sent from the owners’ suite at Lincoln Financial Field.
49ers owner Jed York personally visited Kittle in the locker room and asked if he could get him anything — and that’s when the bottle of tequila was delivered a few minutes later, according to The San Francisco Standard.
Kittle was pushed out of bounds on a 6-yard reception and immediately grabbed his leg.
The All-Pro tight end was carted off the field and hobbled on one leg into the locker room, as seen in videos online.
He was ruled out for the rest of the game.
York and Kittle’s wife, Claire Kittle, both appeared visibly somber as they entered the locker room, according to The Athletic.
The Niners were the underdogs heading into the wild-card clash with the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles.
San Francisco was already down two key players in defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle).
The Eagles’ offense was a mess.
They committed four drops on third down, the most in a playoff game since 2006, per ESPN stats.
The 49ers visit the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in an NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday.
The San Francisco 49ers suffered another devastating injury on Sunday. But, thanks to a strong supporting cast, they found a way to prevail once again.
San Francisco pulled off the biggest playoff upset so far in what’s been a wild wild-card round, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-19, on the road. Unheralded wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was a major reason behind Sunday’s upset as he hauled in six receptions for a game-high 111 yards and a touchdown en route to winning Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game.
When Robinson spoke with Brady after the game, it didn’t take long for him to find the one word to describe the 49ers.
“If it was one word, I’d say resiliency. Resilient,” Robinson said of his team. “These guys play with resiliency. We’ve got a lot of injuries throughout the year. Even tonight, like you said, losing Kittle, guys stepped up and knew they had to make plays. That’s what we were able to do today, go out and make plays.”
Sunday’s victory also came in comeback fashion for the Niners, who rallied from a 16-10 fourth-quarter deficit despite losing tight end George Kittle in the first half to a torn Achilles.
Robinson’s resiliency was on full display on the 49ers’ opening possession. He turned an intermediate pass from Brock Purdy over the middle into a 61-yard gain, zigzagging through the Eagles’ secondary on his way to Philly’s 16-yard line. He then caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to end the drive.
There was possibly no greater sign of the team’s resiliency, however, than the play that gave them a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. After their offense seemed stuck in the mud for most of the game, the 49ers found the end zone when wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey on a trick play.
Robinson was just one of a few supporting characters who contributed to the 49ers’ win. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk had a season-high four receptions for 49 yards, making a pair of big grabs that helped set up touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Defensively, linebacker Garret Wallow had a game-high 11 total tackles after recording just nine total tackles in the regular season.
The 49ers’ top player in McCaffrey also showed his resilience in the win. McCaffrey turned 21 touches into 114 yards and two touchdowns, with the second TD coming via a 4-yard grab with 2:54 remaining to give the 49ers a decisive 23-19 lead.
“I think the guys are just playing with resiliency, man,” Robinson said of his team. “Everybody knew what we had at stake. Everybody came out there and did their part. So, that helped us get the dub.”
The injury to Kittle was his second serious injury of the season after he missed time earlier in the year due to a hamstring tear. San Francisco has also seen some of its other stars get sidelined for the majority of the year, such as edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner.
Warner could potentially return later in the postseason, but another key piece in wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who missed Sunday’s game, remains in limbo as he battles a knee injury. Of course, Purdy missed time this year due to shoulder and toe injuries that cost him eight games.
Despite all of that, the 49ers will now move on to play for a spot in the NFC Championship Game when they take on the Seahawks in Seattle next weekend. They nearly hosted the divisional round game, but lost to the Seahawks at home, 13-3, in the regular-season finale to give Seattle the NFC West and the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Robinson is optimistic, however, that there will be a different result this time around.
“Hopefully, we get the dub, obviously,” Robinson said. “We’ve just got to lock in, man. We’ve got to lock in and put more points on the board than we did last week at home. Just put more points on the board. The defense played lights out tonight. Hopefully, we keep playing that same way, man, and it leads to more dubs.”
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The San Francisco 49ers (12-5) visit the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a Wild Card round showdown as the NFL playoffs get underway. USA TODAY’s panel of NFL experts have locked in their picks and predictions for the action. Here’s everything you need to know before kickoff on Sunday, January 11, including live updated odds and injury report news.
Name
Week 18
2025 Season
Blake Schuster
11-5
141-111-7
Jon Hoefling
11-5
137-128-7
Tyler Dragon
6-10
128-137-7
Chris Bumbaca
7-9
115-121-6
Lorenzo Reyes
8-8
119-131-6
Jordan Mendoza
8-8
113-123-6
Richard Morin
N/A
47-34-3
Opening Lines
Get the edge with our exclusive NFL betting picks
The Eagles feel like a lesser version of the Seattle Seahawks, and SF had several opportunities to win against Seattle in Week 18.
San Francisco has too many injuries. The 49ers will compete, but the Eagles are the best team in the tournament.
This season, it was San Francisco’s defense that let it down. The lack of a pass rush and lack of turnovers kept games closer. The thing is, Philadelphia’s offense was also underwhelming, which was surprising given the talent on the roster. I think this is a case where the Niner offense carries the day, though injuries on defense are a concern. Either way, this line feels too big.
This is a “go with the best unit on the field” play. The one I’m talking about? The Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. Kyle Shanahan vs. Vic Fangio should be a treat though.
The defending champions have been up-and-down this season, and that gives San Francisco to catch the Eagles off guard. Brock Purdy finds his form to deliver a stunner.
All San Francisco had to do was beat Seattle in Week 18 and it wouldn’t have had to leave home once during the postseason. Now the Niners have to go to Philly and face an Eagles team that’s probably furious after their season finale letdown. The Bay is about to experience some intense whiplash.
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