Brock Purdy helped author one of the most iconic comebacks in NFL playoff history on Sunday, delivering a second half for the ages in the 49ers' thrilling 34-31 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
After trailing by 17 points at halftime, Purdy came out of the break with his hair on fire, completing 13-of-16 passing attempts for 174 yards, one touchdown, no turnovers and a 132.8 passer rating. The 24-year-old quarterback also added 49 rushing yards, averaging over 10 yards per carry.
Per OptaSTATS, Purdy's performance is the stuff of legend after he became the first NFL quarterback in the last 30 years -- regular season and postseason -- to record this stat line in a single half:
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- Throw for 150-plus yards
- Rush for 45-plus yards
- Complete 80 percent of his passes
- Average 10-plus yards per carry
- Record zero turnovers
After the incredible comeback win, Purdy detailed to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco how the 49ers shifted their mindset coming out of the halftime break.
"It's tough, obviously, being down like that, season is on the line, but for all of us, it was like … we still have a whole half to play," Purdy told Maiocco. "So we went to the locker room like, we've got to take advantage of every single drive, no hiccups or anything. Defense, do your job. Offense, put up points. We needed momentum, and we found a way to do that. …
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"I think we all felt it, like, all right, this is it. We have to do something; we have to step up. There's nothing that's going to be given to us -- we have to go and take it, and so we all felt it … We knew it was going to be a tight game all the way to the end. And sure enough, we found a way."
Purdy's ability to create off-script with his legs shined in the 49ers' epic NFC title game comeback, with the second-year quarterback delivering a massive third-down conversion on a 21-yard scramble late in the fourth quarter.
The 24-year-old quarterback's decision to take an aggressive shot downfield put wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a position to pull off an incredible 51-yard reception now forever etched into 49ers postseason lore.
In consecutive playoff games, Purdy has helped San Francisco erase a second-half deficit, putting the 49ers in position to avenge their heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV when the two teams square off in two weeks at Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
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