Brock Purdy’s five touchdowns sets up absolutely chaotic NFC playoff race finish
It’s nearly Christmas and the 49ers have yet to punt in the month of December — and they may have to keep that up to claim the NFC’s top spot.
San Francisco’s offense is operating at a high-level, with Brock Purdy tossing five touchdown passes in a 48-27 “Monday Night Football” win over the Colts to improve to 11-4.
The 49ers surviving a litany of severe injuries to top players has set up a chaotic final two weeks as a handful of teams fight for the top seed in the NFC.
If the 49ers win out — no easy task with home games against the 11-4 Bears and 12-3 Seahawks remaining — they will somehow earn the top seed in the conference, which includes a first-round bye and home-field advantage.
The Seahawks, who finish at Carolina and San Francisco after a thrilling 38-37 Thursday night win over the Rams, also earn the top seed if they win their final two games.
The Bears and Rams are also in the running.
Chicago — after a miraculous 22-16 Saturday night overtime win over rival Green Bay — would need two wins and a loss by Seattle, while Los Angeles would need two wins and at least one loss each by San Francisco and Seattle.
The 49ers have reached this point despite suffering serious season-ending injuries to star defenders Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
Purdy and top tight end George Kittle both missed significant time with injuries during the season, while receiver Ricky Pearsall remains out and the closest fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk has gotten to the field this season is zooming past Levi’s Stadium at over 100 mph.
NFC No. 1 seed race
| Team | Record | Current seed | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 12-3 | No. 1 | @CAR, @SF |
| Bears | 11-4 | No. 2 | @SF, DET |
| 49ers | 11-4 | No. 5 | CHI, SEA |
| Rams | 11-4 | No. 6 | @ATL, AZ |
But Purdy — with help from Christian McCaffrey — appears to have the offense clicking on all cylinders at the moment, putting up 85 points in the past two games in wins over the Titans and Colts.
Purdy has tossed eight touchdowns in those two games, while throwing for 590 yards.
“It was cool to be out here playing against Philip Rivers and the Colts,” Purdy said. “To go out and execute like we did, I’m really proud of these guys, everyone. Our defense, the turnover at the end of the game with Dee Winters, huge win for us.”
