Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Revived Prescott vs. rookie wonder
49ers brace for test; Cowboys: We won’t underestimate Purdy
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dak Prescott shook off late-season 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 draft pick to playoff quarterback.
With both QBS coming off impressive games in the wild-card 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 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 is) 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 off-schedule 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. 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.
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 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 franchises’ ninth playoff meeting. Dallas has won five of the previous eight, but San Francisco won 23-17 in the wild-card round last year.
“We get a chance to go back and at their place, do something that we want to do,” Prescott said.
The Niners got a two-day head start after beating Seattle on Jan. 14, while Dallas didn’t play its wild-card game until Monday. While the discrepancy seems unfair on the surface, both teams downplayed the impact of the 49ers having the extra rest.