Purdy, 49ers give Twitter plenty to celebrate after Seahawks win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The San Francisco 49ers are rolling into the divisional round with a convincing 41-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks at home.
While the Seahawks certainly had plenty to be proud of this season, having exceeded everyone's preseason expectations, Saturday afternoon was all about the 49ers.
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Specifically, quarterback Brock Purdy.
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Since stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13, Purdy has rattled off seven straight wins and become one of the feel-good stories of the season.
On Saturday, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft proved he's no fluke. The 23-year-old was unfazed by the playoff stage, finishing with 332 passing yards, three interceptions and zero interceptions, along with a rushing touchdown.
Even more impressively, he did it with some swagger, high-stepping his way to a first down.
While Purdy gave the 49ers plenty of highlight reels, there's one play that nearly broke the internet.
Up 21 with five minutes remaining, Purdy put the Seattle defense on skates with a spin move and pump fake to find receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone.
While Aiyuk wasn't able to complete the electric play, he made up for it with 73 receiving yards on the day.
A couple of fellow athletes got in on the celebration throughout the day.
Purdy's performance drew comparisons to none other than Tom Brady. Brady -- much like Purdy -- was a late draft pick thrust into the spotlight in 2001 when Patriots then-starter Drew Bledsoe suffered an injury. The young quarterback out of Michigan then led New England to its first Super Bowl win and the rest was history.
At the risk of looking too far ahead into the future, Purdy's leadership down the second half of the season begs the question -- is there room for Trey Lance and/or Jimmy G in the 49ers' locker room?
