The San Francisco 49ers have needed more than a little luck on several errant Brock Purdy throws to advance to Super Bowl LVIII. However, the catch that Brandon Aiyuk made off the dome of Detroit Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor was the ultimate double middle fingers from the football gods to anyone who’d ever dare to question Purdy’s unimpeachable greatness.
AIYUK UNBELIEVABLE!
📺: #DETvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/gm8L5xwa9D— NFL (@NFL) January 29, 2024
Snarky lede aside, Aiyuk does deserve credit for emerging from Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse, avoiding potential first-round bust territory and developing himself into a legit WR1. The instincts to lay out and still haul in that errant Purdy ball after Vildor dropped the interception are ridiculous.
…Which is why I, along with Aiyuk find it hard to believe that he didn’t make it to No. 1 on SportsCenter‘s Top 10 plays on Monday. What does a man have to do!?
Brandon Aiyuk's crazy catch didn't make it to No. 1 on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays.
Aiyuk's reaction to finding out what No. 1 was 😂pic.twitter.com/72bj6awjk0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 29, 2024
It would appear that the self-completion that Lamar Jackson pulled off earlier on Championship Sunday, where he caught a tipped pass and ran for a 13-yard gain, beat out Aiyuk.
LAMAR FREAKIN' JACKSON.
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/mZGuyakLrX— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
I guess if you’re judging Lamar’s play on its own merits versus Aiyuk’s, a weak argument could be made in favor of the Ravens QB going No. 1 on the top play lineup. That’s about as far as I can go with that train of thought, because respectfully (not respectfully), what the f*ck?
Not only did Baltimore not score on that possession, but Lamar would later choke, force a throw into triple coverage that got picked in the end zone, and cost his team a Super Bowl appearance.
Aiyuk’s catch saved 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan a nightmarish offseason, full of questions about whether or not San Francisco’s Super Bowl window has slammed shut, or if he can ever really win The Big One. At least if the Niners fall to the dynastic Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII for the second time on that stage, they can take some solace in defeat.
If Aiyuk doesn’t make that play, the Lions are probably duking it out with the Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy in Vegas — despite Dan Campbell’s feloniously inebriated style of game management.
I’ve said “if” quite a lot in this article. To paraphrase the great ex-Seahawk and 49ers great Richard Sherman, if “if” was a fifth, we’d all be drunk. Too bad Kindle Vildor decided to make the worst play on a ball in the air I’ve ever seen other than Rahim Moore, the man responsible for Joe Flacco’s entire legacy and the Ravens’ last Super Bowl run.
2012 Divisional – 12 Jan 2013
Jacoby Jones catches the Mile High Miracle from Joe Flacco to force overtime pic.twitter.com/0JseDFCWsG
— Aidan🫡 (@Balden303) January 5, 2020
OK Marcus Williams was pretty bad on the Minneapolis Miracle play, too. Might’ve cost Drew Brees and Sean Payton a second Super Bowl. WOOF.
January 14, 2018: The Minneapolis Miracle.
pic.twitter.com/jA0LZfgrKZ— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 15, 2024
Kindle Vildor is right up there with Moore and Williams. My guy had an NFC Championship trophy in his hands and couldn’t secure the catch. Even worse, he let Aiyuk make one of the most iconic Championship Sunday plays in NFL history. A play that will unfortunately be forever remembered as No. 2 on the SportsCenter Top 10 in favor of a two-time regular-season MVP quarterback who has a 2-4 postseason record and a 75.7 passer rating in those six starts.
