The kid’s first playoff test? The Seahawks.
Four weeks ago, Brock Purdy led the 49ers to a rare road victory in Seattle as the team clinched the NFC West title, its second of the Kyle Shanahan era. Not bad for Purdy’s second career start.
At 1:25 p.m. PT on Saturday afternoon, Purdy will be in another high-stakes situation against the Seahawks, as the two rivals will kick off Super Wild Card Weekend. After leading the 49ers to six wins in six weeks taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo, the rookie quarterback will be making his postseason debut.
Sunday provided a drama-filled finish for the NFL.
About four hours after Purdy and the 49ers wrapped up the NFC’s No. 2 seed with a 38-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, the Detroit Lions knocked off the Green Bay Packers in the NFL’s regular-season finale.
The 12th man went wild in their living rooms. After Seattle eked out a 19-16 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the day to stay alive, the Packers loss sent the No. 7-seeded Seahawks to the playoffs.
As the finale went down at Lambeau Field, the Seahawks even put a “Go Lions!” on their scoreboard at Lumen Field.
Now the eyes turn to Levi’s Stadium.
Before this season, when the 49ers beat Seattle twice and swept the NFC West, San Francisco went 1-5 against the Seahawks the previous three seasons. Now they’ve got some momentum and Purdy is facing a team he’s already beaten. Likewise, the defense knows exactly what to expect from No. 13.
In that Week 15 matchup, the 49ers won 21-13, as Purdy played through a rib/oblique injury that prevented him from throwing on the practice field that week. He went 17-of-26 for two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over, connecting with tight end George Kittle for both scores. Purdy also picked up a key first down with his legs at the 2:37 mark to seal the game. As he left the field, Purdy roared to the 49ers Faithful who cheered for him at the tunnel.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers have improved in the past three weeks since clinching the division.
"I think we've gotten better since that point," Shanahan said, specifically pointing out health, Christian McCaffrey and the run game. "Sometimes it takes time to click. I think we're getting better with time."
For all the history and success between the 49ers and Seahawks in recent decades, they’ve only met once in the playoffs. Niners fans probably have painful memories of that 2014 NFC Championship, as the Seahawks scored 10 unanswered in the fourth quarter en route to a 23-17 victory. Purdy had just turned 14 when that game was played. Pete Carroll is still running up and down the sidelines in Seattle, but clearly a lot’s changed in the past nine years.
It should be a wet and wild atmosphere Saturday afternoon, as the rain in the Bay Area is expected to continue through the week. Levi’s Stadium doesn’t get as loud as Lumen Field, but it should still be electric for Purdy’s playoff debut.
