'Bad coaching' reason for 49ers' Super Bowl LVIII loss not Brock Purdy, ex-NFL star says

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Former NFL star Cam Newton was among those who were critical of Brock Purdy’s performance in the playoffs as the San Francisco 49ers marched their way to a Super Bowl appearance.

Purdy had a decent performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. He was 23-for-38 with 255 passing yards and a touchdown pass. He was only sacked once.

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Cam Newton at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl Party held at Marquee Dayclub Las Vegas at The Cosmopolitan on Feb. 10, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)

Newton, on his "4th & 1" podcast, let Purdy off the hook in the 49ers’ 25-22 loss. He pinned it on the coaching decisions and San Francisco deciding to receive the ball first in overtime.

"Field goal versus touchdown, that’s not Brock Purdy," the former Carolina Panthers quarterback said. "Why the f--- did they receive the ball first? It was Tony Romo who mentioned this -- when you know what you have to get, now you have four downs to get it, not three.

"The 49ers, they were just trying to get points. And that is not Brock Purdy’s fault, that’s bad coaching. There was too many people who was exposed. They didn’t know the real rules of overtime."

Newton added that Purdy "played good enough for his team to win."

San Francisco 49ers Brock Purdy, #13, runs the football against Kansas City Chiefs Justin Reid, #20, at Allegiant Stadium. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

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The one-time NFL MVP said it was a serious thing that the 49ers players did not know the rules