Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates as he runs off the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 14.Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in his first playoff start as the host San Francisco 49ers advanced with a 41-23 victory against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday afternoon in Santa Clara, Calif.
The 49ers (14-4 overall), the NFC’s No. 2 seed, won their 11th consecutive game, overcoming a halftime deficit and outscoring the visitors 25-6 in the second half.
Purdy, a rookie who was the last overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, completed 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards. Christian McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 119 yards and made a touchdown reception, and Deebo Samuel had six catches for 133 yards and a TD.
Seattle’s Geno Smith was 25-of-35 passing for 253 yards with two touchdowns, both to DK Metcalf, and one interception. Kenneth Walker III rushed 15 times for 63 yards and a score, and Metcalf had 10 catches for 136 yards and the two scores.
Trailing 17-16, the 49ers took the second-half kickoff and went 75 yards in 13 plays, with Purdy scoring on a 1-yard plunge.
The Seahawks (9-9) moved deep into San Francisco territory before taking their first two penalties of the game, leaving them with third-and-14 from the 19. Smith was sacked by Charles Omenihu for a 7-yard loss, with the ball squirting loose and recovered by Nick Bosa at the 30.
The 49ers drove down the field and Purdy escaped the rush before throwing a 7-yard TD pass to running back Elijah Mitchell. A two-point conversion pass to George Kittle gave San Francisco a 31-17 lead with 14:02 remaining.
Purdy threw a 74-yard scoring strike to Samuel and Robbie Gould kicked a 31-yard field goal to make it 41-17.
Smith threw a 3-yard TD pass to Metcalf with 1:48 left to complete the scoring.
The Seahawks rallied from a 10-point deficit to take a 17-16 halftime lead on Jason Myers’ 56-yard field goal on the final play.
The 49ers scored on their first two possessions – Gould’s 34-yard field goal and a 3-yard TD pass to McCaffrey – for a 10-0 lead.
Walker’s 7-yard TD run got the Seahawks on the scoreboard and, following Gould’s 33-yard field goal, they took the lead on a 50-yard scoring strike from Smith to Metcalf down the left sideline.
Gould’s 46-yarder gave San Francisco a 16-14 lead before Myers’ last-second kick.