Prescott, Purdy playing well going into showdown
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dak Prescott shook off some lateseason struggles and once again looked in top form in Dallas’ playoff opener.
Brock Purdy looked just as good as he has ever since stepping in as the starter in San Francisco, part of his improbable journey from seventh-round pick to playoff quarterback.
With both QBs coming off impressive games in the wildcard round, the Cowboys (13-5) and 49ers (14-4) look like offensive juggernauts heading into Sunday’s matchup in the divisional round.
Prescott threw for 305 yards and four TDs and ran for another score in Dallas’ win at Tampa Bay, setting a franchise record by accounting for five TDs in a playoff game.
It was a far cry from the way Prescott ended the regular season with 11 interceptions in his final seven games.
“Dak has always been a challenge,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “(He’s) a pure pocket passer who can make all the throws in there and read the defense really well and get the ball to the right spots and do it accurately. That’s why he’s had the career he has and when things do break down, he’s got a knack for how to get out of that pocket and make some offschedule plays and that’s why he has had such a successful career so far.”
While Prescott getting back to that form should be little surprise, Purdy’s performance has been less expected.
The player picked last in April’s draft has played like a star since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13. Purdy has thrown at least two TD passes in seven straight games and has won all six starts while running an offense filled with playmakers like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, and a solid offensive line.
He threw for 332 yards and three TDs and ran for a score in a win over Seattle, becoming the first rookie QB to account for four TDs in a playoff game and throwing for the most yards by a rookie in a playoff win since Sammy Baugh in 1937.
“I definitely won’t underestimate him,” Dallas All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons said. “He might have surprised some people early on into thinking no rookie is going to come in and beat us and he’s taken them this far. Super excited to go against him to see what he’s got.”
The teams will meet in the playoffs for the second straight year after one of the league’s fiercest rivalries took more than a quarter-century postseason break.
This will be the ninth time these franchises have met in the postseason, tied for the most of any matchup in the Super Bowl era with San Francisco against Green Bay and Dallas against the Rams.