NFL Fans Roast Brock Purdy's MVP Campaign After 49ers' Loss to Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Entering Week 16, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was believed to be in the driver's seat in the race for NFL MVP. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off in the team's demoralizing loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

In what was billed as a potential Super Bowl LVIII preview, Purdy and the 49ers looked completely overmatched as they went on to lose 33-19 in front of their home fans at Levi's Stadium.

Purdy's performance was particularly disheartening, as he threw a career-high four interceptions with no touchdowns and finished with 255 yards on 18-of-32 passing. He was removed from the game in the fourth quarter due to a stinger and replaced by Sam Darnold, who promptly threw a touchdown soon after taking over under center. Darnold went 8-of-14 for 81 yards, but he threw the team's fifth interception at the goal line on the final possession to seal the loss.

San Francisco star running back Christian McCaffrey, another leading MVP candidate, ran for 103 yards and a touchdown and added six catches for 28 yards.

The loss had larger ramifications, as the 49ers fell into a three-way tie with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC at 11-4. San Francisco remains in first place based on its win over the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this season, but with just two weeks left in the regular season, home-field advantage in the conference is still up for grabs.

While the 49ers stumbled, the Ravens (12-3) soared and maintained their position atop the AFC. Star quarterback Lamar Jackson added to his own MVP case by throwing for 252 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while leading Baltimore with 45 rushing yards.

But it was Purdy who dominated the conversation among fans on social media, as many declared him to be a fraudulent frontrunner for league MVP:

Purdy has experienced a monumental rise from being the last pick in the 2022 draft to being worthy of MVP consideration in just his second NFL season. Unfortunately, Monday's performance made Purdy look more like Mr. Irrelevant than a candidate for the league's top honor.

With the MVP race now wide open, it will be interesting to see who separates themselves from the pack over the final two weeks of the regular season.

Purdy and the 49ers will look to bounce back when they face the Washington Commanders on Sunday.