King of Props: Purdy good on the ground

The biggest storyline of the back half of the season has been the ascension of Brock Purdy, who infamously earned the title “Mr. Irrelevant” for being selected last in the 2022 draft. After injuries sidelined both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, he assumed the mantle of 49ers starting quarterback and has gone on to post a 7-0 record. As he faces the daunting challenge of becoming the first rookie signal-caller to lead his team to the Super Bowl, we like his chances to deliver our favorite NFC Championship Game prop:

The bet: Over 8½ rushing yards for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (FanDuel)

A good athlete, Purdy has been using his legs more in recent weeks. He fell a yard short of this number in the divisional-round win over the Cowboys but had a 13-yard scramble in each of the previous two games. Coach Kyle Shanahan has even called an occasional designed run for the QB.

What’s often overlooked is how effective of a runner Purdy was during his four years at Iowa State. Despite the fact that sacks count as negative rushing yardage in college football, he averaged 25 yards on the ground per game and ran for a total of 1,177 yards and 19 touchdowns over his career.

The Eagles allowed 4.64 yards per carry in the regular season, which was the ninth-worst mark in the league. They also surrendered the fourth-most rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks.

When pressured by the fierce Philly pass rush, Purdy will try to escape the pocket for gains that move the chains.