Brock Purdy brilliant in leading San Francisco to dominating playoff victory
SANTA CLARA -- San Francisco rookie quarterback Brock Purdy ran for one touchdown and threw for three more and a 2-point conversion to lead the 49ers to a dominating 41-23 NFC wild card victory Saturday over the Seattle Seahawks.
Purdy became the first 49er rookie quarterback to lead the team to a playoff victory. His performance was also the best in NFL playoff history for a quarterback at the age of 23.
"He has showed us over and over again who he is and the type of player he is," linebacker Fred Warner said. "So I'm not surprised."
The win was Purdy's sixth straight since becoming a starter. He finished the contest completing 18 of 30 pass attempts for 332 yards and, more importantly, did not turn the ball over.
"Once the game started, it was just 11 on 11, I have to do my job, get it to the guys in space and go from there," Purdy said. "We didn't make it more than what it was. ... It wasn't, 'Oh my gosh it's the playoffs and we got to get all tense.' We just have to play our game."
Purdy's playmaking while scrambling drew praise from Seattle coach Pete Carroll.
"Brock Purdy did a really good job of staying alive," he said. "I don't know why we couldn't sack the guy. We chased him all over the place. He's not noted for being the greatest scrambler but he looked like Fran Tarkenton out there today."
Deebo Samuel added 6 catches for 133 yards and a score and also rushed for 32 yards on 3 carries.
Christian McCaffrey gained 119 yards on 15 carries and scored on a 3-yard pass.
After losing momentum and the lead in the second quarter, the 49ers came out and took the opening second half kickoff and marched 75 yards on 13 plays to regain a 23-17 lead on a Purdy sneak at the goal line. The drive grounded out 7:45 and was sparked by a 21-yard pass to Samuel and 23 yards to George Kittle.
Again the Seahawks proved to be resilient. Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was dominating the heralded 49ers defense when on 3rd down at the 49ers 19, Charles Omenihu strip-sacked the Seahawks quarterback and Nick Bosa recovered to end the threat.
The 49ers converted the turnover into a 31-17 lead on the strength Purdy's arm and playmaking. First, he completed a 33-yard strike to Jauan Jennings to the Seattle 7. After an incompletion, the rookie scrambled to buy time and found Elijah Mitchell for a touchdown.
Purdy then followup with a 2-point conversion to Kittle for the insurmountable 31-17 lead early in the fourth quarter. He then put the game away, teaming up with Samuel on a 74-yard scoring play to put San Francisco up 38-17.
A Deommodore Lenoir interception at the Seattle 37 set up 31-yard Robbie Gould field goal to make it 41-17 and seal the club's third win over Seattle this season with 4:56 left in the game.
A 3-yard pass from Smith to DK Metcalf with 1:48 left in the game made the final 41-23 margin.
Seattle had stunned the sold-out home crowd as time was running out in the first half when a roughing call on Jimmie Ward set up a Jason Myers 56-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a 17-16 halftime lead.
It was hardly a half to remember for Ward who also got burned on 50-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Metcalf that put Seattle up 14-13 with 5:01 left in the second quarter.
Wedged in between was a 46-yard Gould field goal.
San Francisco had jumped off to a 10-0 lead and had all the momentum in the first quarter but were outscored 17-3 in the second.
McCaffrey scored on a 3-yard pass from Purdy and Gould converted on field goals of 34 and 33 yards.
Purdy, a rookie making his first playoff start, was a little shaky in the first half. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 197 yards. Smith was nearly perfect, hitting on 9 of 10 attempts for 104 yards and a score.