Brock Purdy aka Mr. Irrelevant proving he is relevant!

Brock Purdy got flushed out of the pocket, spun back the other direction and found a wide open Elijah Mitchell for the score that put San Francisco in control for good. Purdy answered another test and delivered another outstanding performance in a remarkable rookie season that began as the final pick in the NFL draft. Purdy threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth score in his playoff debut, leading the 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in a wild-card game on Saturday.

Purdy picked up where he left off in the regular season for the 49ers and showed few signs of playoff jitters by winning his sixth straight start since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo early in a Week 13 win over Miami. The Niners advanced to the divisional round where they will host either Tampa Bay or Dallas next weekend. Purdy connected on a 3 yard pass to Christian McCaffrey in the first quarter, converted a 1-yard sneak in the third quarter and a 7-yard TD pass to Mitchell early in the fourth to make it 31-17. The Niners broke it open when Deebo Samuel took a short pass from Purdy and raced in for a 74-yard touchdown.

Purdy threw for 332 yards  the second most ever for a rookie in the playoffs to Russell Wilson’s 385 in a loss to Atlanta 10 years ago and he became the first rookie QB ever to account for four TDs in a playoff game. Purdy has lived up to the confidence his coaches and teammates have shown in him ever since he took over.

The Seahawks kept it close for most of three quarters before a strip sack by Charles Omenihu late in the third quarter spoiled a red zone drive. Purdy then hit Jauan Jennings on a 33-yard pass to set up the TD pass to Mitchell that broke the game open. Purdy tied an NFL record for rookies set by Justin Herbert with his seventh straight game with multiple TD passes.

San Francisco piled on from there. The loss brought a disappointing end to a surprising season for the Seahawks, who got into the playoffs on the final weekend in their first season after trading away Wilson. Geno Smith stepped in admirably, throwing 30 TD passes in the regular season and keeping it close for a while in the playoff game thanks to a 50-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf in the first half. Smith finished 25 for 35 for 253 yards, two TDs and one interception.

The Niners raced out to a 10-0 lead after two possessions getting a field goal on the opening drive and then a 3-yard pass from Purdy to McCaffrey following McCaffrey’s 68-yard run on the second possession. But Seattle battled back with a 14-play drive capped by Kenneth Walker’s 7-yard run and the deep pass to Metcalf.

The Niners responded after Seattle safety Johnathan Abram grabbed and twisted Samuel’s previously injured left ankle on a tackle early in the second half. Samuel stayed down to get his temper under control as his teammates rallied to his side. The play angered the Niners, who responded by scoring the next 25 points to take control. They never looked back and continue to look like serious contenders as they chase another championship for this historical franchise.

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