Brock Purdy had just finished his senior season at Iowa State and was out of town preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine, so the 49ers’ playoff game caught his eye.
Two years later, he remembers when the 49ers deflected a punt in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs to earn a 13-10 come-from-behind victory over the top-seeded Green Bay Packers.
“We watched a few plays of that game (this week) and just seeing the environment, playoff football in Lambeau with the snow, what a crazy game it was,” Purdy said Wednesday.
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“When you look back at the history of these two organizations competing in the playoffs, it’s great to be able to say we’re playing there now.
” Now, the top-seeded 49ers (12-5) will take on the upset Packers (10-0).
5 losses) will play) Saturday night 8) Picked up at Levi’s Stadium – No snow, but a chance of rain.
The 49ers are aiming for their third consecutive appearance in the NFC Championship Game and second consecutive appearance against Purdy.
Purdy’s NFL postseason debut occurred last year. Purdy won games over the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium after only five regular-season starts as Jimmy Garoppolo’s (and Trey Lance’s) injury replacement. Then came his elbow injury early in the NFC championship game in Philadelphia, which derailed the 49ers’ Super Bowl chances.
All those playoff experiences — from a faraway observer in January 2022 to a red-hot rookie last year — have Purdy eager to explore a new domain while also anticipating what will happen in Saturday’s playoff return.
“Last year, I was still trying to find my way,” Purdy explained. “I was thrown in near the conclusion of the year. Every week, I tried to play well, figure out who I was as a quarterback, and get comfortable playing within the system. Those were the things I was responsible for, as well as winning every week and leading our squad to victory.”
Wins at home over the next two Saturdays will propel the 49ers to Super Bowl LVII.
It’s good to watch the games from last year and remember just the feeling and the emotions of playing in a playoff game,” Purdy said. “It’s huge to me as a quarterback to go back to those moments and remember what it feels like. That’s what I’m banking on.”
In Purdy’s self-described “tense” playoff debut, he threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown and no turnovers, as the 49ers beat Seattle 41-23 in the wild-card round. In the ensuing 19-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Purdy passed for 214 yards, including a 30-yarder to George Kittle that set up Christian McCaffrey’s go-ahead touchdown run.
Watching that playoff action from afar last year was Chase Young, a defensive end who Washington traded this past October to the 49ers.
“Brock’s that dude, man,” Young said Wednesday. “Probably the nicest guy in the locker room. Chillest guy. He just goes out there and throws that ball. He’s a confident guy. I feel most confident guys know how to keep their composure. That just comes naturally for him.”
Two weeks ago, as Purdy prepared to sit out the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers arranged a one-on-one interview with him and Steve Young, the last 49ers quarterback to win a Super Bowl, back in the 1994 season, nearly five years before Purdy was born.