After winning the coin toss of Saturday’s playoff matchup with the Seahawks, the 49ers deferred to receive the opening kickoff of the third quarter.
That was a significant choice, as San Francisco used a 13-play, 75-yard drive to take 7:45 off the clock and go up 23-17 with a touchdown.
Brock Purdy capped the long possession with a 1-yard QB sneak for a touchdown.
The 49ers converted three third downs on the possession, including a pass to Deebo Samuel on third-and-7 that the receiver took for a 21-yard gain. Seattle safety Johnathan Abram appeared to grab Samuel’s lower leg after the whistle blew on that play, which started a mini scuffle between the two teams. But no one was penalized for it.
Running back Christian McCaffrey also had four consecutive run plays to put the 49ers on the 1-yard line.
After finishing the first half 1-of-5 on third down, the 49ers are now 4-of-8 early in the second half with that drive.