After Tight First Half, 49ers Roll Over Seahawks to Advance to Divisional Round

The storms that have battered California for two weeks and knocked out power for thousands of residents, including San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, were supposed to significantly affect Saturday’s wild-card game between the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. But just before kickoff, the rain paused, and as the sun shined, the 49ers went on to dominate the Seahawks, 41-23, to advance to the divisional round.

Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ rookie quarterback, also shined in his playoff debut. Purdy, who was selected with the last pick of the 2022 N.F.L. Draft and began the season as the team’s third-string quarterback, threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Christian McCaffrey added 119 yards on the ground, and receiver Deebo Samuel collected 165 total yards and a touchdown.

Seattle led, 17-16, after the first half, but San Francisco responded with 25 unanswered points to start the second.

Purdy’s best play of the game came in the fourth quarter when he spun out of what looked like a surefire sack and found 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell for a touchdown. Purdy then threw a pass to Kittle on a successful two-point conversion to put the 49ers up by 14. Later in the quarter, Samuel caught a short pass and ran for a 74-yard touchdown.

The game effectively ended after that drive. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw an interception on the Seahawks’ next possession. Smith threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and receiver DK Metcalf caught 10 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.