SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The game started with the San Francisco 49ers unable to generate a single first down in the first quarter. It ended with Brock Purdy on his back after a crushing hit on a fourth-down incompletion.
It wasn't much better in between for the 49ers. An offense that was nearly unstoppable during a six-game winning streak could generate almost nothing against the Seattle Seahawks in a 13-3 loss Saturday night that cost San Francisco a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
“They played good defense and we didn’t execute,” Purdy said. “All these other games were we pulled away and had good points and stats and all that stuff is because we execute on the gritty third downs and stay on the field and then we go and score touchdowns after that. So obviously that’s something we needed to do tonight. We didn’t and the scoreboard shows it.”
Now, instead of getting a bye, home-field advantage and the chance to play the Super Bowl on their home field without taking another trip, the 49ers (12-5) will have to head on the road next week in the wild-card round after falling flat in their biggest game of the season.
San Francisco will get the fifth seed and the chance to play the 8-9 winner of the NFC South in the playoffs if the Rams lose or tie against Arizona on Sunday. The Niners will fall to the sixth seed with a trip to Philadelphia or Chicago if Los Angeles beats the Cardinals.
“We’re ready for it,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “It would have been nice to have a home game here — or both home games — and get a bye. But it is what it is. This team’s been through a lot this year. Now we got to do it the hard way.”
The Niners had put themselves in this position thanks to an offense that helped the team average a league-best 35.7 points during a six-game winning streak that featured back-to-back games with at least 42 points ahead of the showdown against Seattle.
But after thriving against several of the NFL's weaker defenses in recent weeks, San Francisco was outclassed by a Seahawks unit that put heavy pressure on Purdy, shut down Christian McCaffrey and the running game and used sound tackling to eliminate big plays after the catch.
It added up to one of the worst offensive performances for San Francisco in nine seasons under Shanahan, with the three points being the fewest the team scored since a 23-3 loss to Carolina in his debut in 2017 and the 173 yards the fewest ever in a regular-season game.
“Disappointed," tight end George Kittle said. “NFL, you can have a bad game any game. Unfortunately, we decided to have a bad game today. ... Kind of hard to expect to really win a game if we’re not going to score more than three points.”
Purdy finished 19 of 27 for 127 yards with one interception and took three sacks. McCaffrey was held to 23 yards on eight carries and a season-low 57 yards from scrimmage.
Playing without Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams and receiver Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco never got into a rhythm on offense. The 49ers started the game with back-to-back three-and-outs and then got stopped on fourth-and-1 on the next drive after finally getting a first down.
The Niners got a late field goal in the first half and only trailed 10-3 at the break, but nothing changed in the second half with the team punting for a third time — one more than in three games combined in December — after failing to reach midfield on the opening drive of the third quarter.
San Francisco's best chance to reach the end zone came early in the fourth quarter when it drove to the 6 and was in position to cut into a 10-point deficit. But a pass by Purdy was tipped at the line and bobbled by McCaffrey into Drake Thomas' hands for what was essentially a game-sealing interception.
“It’s a play I have to make, absolutely have to make,” McCaffrey said. “I expect nothing less but to make that play and it’s completely on me.”
The Seahawks killed more than eight minutes on the ensuing drive and the 49ers' last chance ended when Purdy was drilled by Derick Hall on a failed fourth-down pass to Kittle. Purdy was down on the turf for a bit before finally walking off the field gingerly with a stinger that Shanahan said wouldn't have kept him out of the game.
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