The San Francisco 49ers rallied behind rookie quarterback Brock Purdy once again as they secured a 41-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs.
Purdy threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns to lead the 49ers past their NFC West rivals. The win means the 23-year-old has become the first rookie quarterback to win on his first postseason start since Russell Wilson did so with the Seahawks back in 2012.
Purdy is the reigning ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ after he was selected with the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The rookie’s path has been remarkable, transitioning from third-string quarterback to starter as the replacement when sophomore Trey Lance and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo went down with injuries.
After their field goal broke the deadlock, the 49ers scored the first touchdown of the contest when Purdy, who showed tremendous poise throughout his postseason debut, found Christian McCaffrey in space to stroll into the end zone. McCaffrey enjoyed a productive day, tallying 126 all-purpose yards as well as the early score.
The Seahawks fought back and even managed to take the lead with a 56-yard field goal from Jason Myers at 17-16 heading into half time. However, things took a turn in the second half as Seattle failed to score until DK Metcalf's second touchdown reception with just under two minutes remaining.
In the third quarter, Purdy scored on a quarterback sneak to reclaim the lead before Seattle quarterback Geno Smith began to lead his team downfield, threatening to score on the vaunted San Francisco defence. Enter Nick Bosa.
Late in the third, San Francisco star defensive end Bosa - who led the NFL with 18.5 sacks this season - jumped on a loose ball after Charles Omenihu stripped the ball from Smith’s clutches. The incredible play on third down brought a promising Seahawks drive to an end with the 49ers retaining their 23-17 lead.
Purdy - the youngest quarterback with two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in NFL playoffs history - then showed tremendous innovation to spin out of a sack before finding Elijah Mitchell on the opposite side of the field. The 49ers completed the two-point conversion to make it a 14-point lead - but they weren’t done yet.
As the Seahawks offence floundered, the 49ers offensive unit flourished as it has done so remarkably since Purdy assumed his place at the helm. Purdy found Deebo Samuel sprinting across the field and the electric receiver took it 74 yards to score and extend San Francisco’s lead with the score 38-17.
Smith was then intercepted by Deommodore Lenoir and the Seahawks’ playoff hopes were withering away. While the defeat may be difficult to take, Seattle should take pride in their play this season given many expected the team to struggle and even be in contention to receive the first overall pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
As for the 49ers, on they march behind the most relevant ‘Mr Irrelevant’ in NFL history. It remains to be seen if Purdy - who is now 6-0 as a starter in the NFL - will be able to lead San Francisco to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona next month, but nobody will bet against the exceptional rookie leading the 49ers on an 11-game winning run as they enter the Divisional Round next week.
