The San Francisco 49ers were the first team to punch their ticket to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 41-23 on Saturday afternoon. Because of the New York Giants upset of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, San Francisco had to wait until Monday night to have their opponent named for the next round. They will host the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's® Stadium for the ninth meeting between these two teams in the postseason.
The 49ers remain the top-ranked team in the latest set of NFL power rankings, a spot they have occupied since Week 17. It's no surprise San Francisco continues to be the No. 1 ranked team as they ride a league-best 11-game win streak into their second round game. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy continues to impress, connecting on 18-of-30 passes for 332 yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown against Seattle. The win keeps Purdy undefeated in his seven appearances, and his stellar performance on Saturday earned him his fifth 100+ passer rating of the year. On defense, the dominance has carried through to the postseason. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans' unit limited the Seahawks to just six points in the second half and produced two takeaways to stall Seattle's offense.
Here's a look at the latest NFL power rankings from several national outlets:
NFL.com: 1
Around the NFL Writer Dan Hanzus
"The 49ers continue to run circles around the enemy. On Saturday, it was the Seahawks turn to face the music -- a Brock Purdy-orchestrated symphony that rolled off 25 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 41-23 win. After some misfires in the first few drives, Purdy locked in and became the first rookie QB in NFL history with four total touchdowns in a playoff game. His casual dominance can be explained in part by a Kyle Shanahan offense firing on all cylinders: According to Next Gen Stats, all three of Purdy's passing scores were thrown to receivers who had at least five yards of separation. Of Purdy's 332 passing yards, 179 went to receivers who were virtually uncovered. Purdy hit the NFL QB version of the lotto, and he's bathing in the riches."
NFL Writer Frank Schwab
"The 49ers haven't lost since Oct. 23. If you ignore Christian McCaffrey's first game with the 49ers after he was traded to San Francisco, when he got limited snaps hours after joining the team, they've won all 11 games with McCaffrey. Eight of those wins were by double digits. No team looked better in the divisional round. There's already a weird debate about Brock Purdy going on, but the truth is that he has been an efficient quarterback playing his role very well, and if the 49ers lose it probably won't be because their quarterback had a meltdown many seem to be anticipating. It's still hard to win three games and take home a Super Bowl, but no team is playing better than the 49ers."
NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks
"In extending their winning streak to 11 games, the 49ers showcased the offensive diversity and defensive dominance that makes them a tough out as a title contender."
