Brock Purdy, in his playoff debut, led the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a NFC Wild Card Playoffs game that blew wide open in the second half in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday. Box Score || Team Stats || Videos
Purdy tossed for three touchdowns and ran for another score on the day, showing few signs of jitters and continuing his success since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13.
The talented Purdy hit Christian McCaffrey on a 3-yard pass for a score in the first quarter, scored from a 1-yard sneak in the third quarter, and added a 7-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Mitchell early in the fourth to give the 49ers a commanding 31-17 lead.
The Niners put the game beyond doubt when Purdy found Deebo Samuel on a short pass for him to dash home for a 74-yard score. With the win on Saturday, San Francisco will now host either the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round.
Meanwhile, Purdy threw for 332 yards, the second most by a rookie in the playoffs, and became the first rookie QB to account for four touchdowns in a playoff game. The 49ers (14-4) was able to overcome a halftime deficit and outscoring the visitors 25-6 in the second half.
“We came out and had some momentum and Seattle did a good job tracking back,” Purdy said of trailing at the half.
“It’s playoff football, everyone is going to play their best from here on out. When our offense and defense are doing their thing, we’re hard to beat.”
The loss, in the meanwhile, marked the end of a disappointing season for the Seahawks, who got into the playoffs in their first year without Russell Wilson on the final weekend of the season.
Geno Smith stepped in admirably, throwing 30 touchdowns in the regular season. In the loss on Saturday evening, Smith ended 25 of 35 on completed passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
He also threw a 50-yard touchdown toss to DK Metcalf in the first half but was unable to secure a win in the playoff game.
