SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy, with a 5-0 record, has dominated the Seattle Seahawks more than any 49ers quarterback in history.
Mind you, the Seahawks didn’t join the NFC West until 2002 realignment, but Purdy still is batting 1.000 in his opportunities.
“It’s never easy, I’ll tell you that. It’s not,” Purdy said Wednesday ahead of the Seahawks’ incoming visit Sunday. “We’ve had success going against them but it’s always been a dogfight and never just been given to us.”
On the flip side, Geno Smith is 0-5 against the 49ers as the Seahawks quarterback, and he is well aware of that résumé scar entering Sunday’s meeting in Levi’s Stadium.
“It’s very personal,” Smith told the Seattle News Tribune’s Gregg Bell on Thursday. “When you think about division opponents, these games matter the most, especially with the 49ers. They’ve been at the top of our division, one of the best teams in the league for a while.”
The 49ers (5-4) have won two in a row, but they started 0-2 in NFC West action until winning in Seattle 36-24 on Oct. 10. The Seahawks (4-5) are coming off their bye, having lost 5-of-6 since a 3-0 start to the season under new coach Mike Macdonald.
“I’m going to step on (the field) with that chip on my shoulder and that edge I always have, and I know my guys will as well,” said Smith, who’s leading the NFL’s top-ranked passing attack.
As for how personal Smith takes the fact he’s not beating the 49ers, he replied: “There’s teams that haven’t beaten us yet.”
Nick Sorenesen, the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, didn’t take a victory lap around the 49ers’ dominance of Smith; Sorensen was on the Seahawks’ staff in 2019-20 when Smith arrived as Russell Wilson’s backup.
“I wouldn’t say (the 49ers) have his number,” Sorensen said. “I respect the heck out of Geno. He has such a great arm, attitude, he prepares. He can still move, even though he’s a little older quarterback-wise.”
The 49ers have beaten Seattle six straight since 2000, but the Seahawks won 10 straight between the 2013 season’s NFC Championship Game and 2018. “We know this history of the 49ers and the Seahawks. You have to have the right mindset going into this game or else yet get exposed,” Purdy said.
The 49ers haven not ruled iof late via a quarterback-dominant passing attack, but rather a quantity-meets-quality rushing attack. The 49ers have averaged 33.5 carries and 185 yards with 10 total rushing touchdowns in this six-game win streak.
That said, Purdy passed for 255 yards (18-of-28) with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 49ers’ Oct. 10 win in Seattle. He put up similar numbers in his January 2023 playoff debut against the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium: 332 yards (18-of-30) with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Another win Sunday would make Purdy 6-for-6 against Seattle, matching the win total Alex Smith comprised going 6-5 in this rivalry from 2005-2012. Other notable 49ers quarterbacks vs. Seattle: Colin Kaepernick 1-7, Jimmy Garoppolo 1-4, Joe Montana 2-0, Steve Young 0-1, Jim Plunkett 1-0, Steve Bono 1-0, Nick Mullens 1-1, C.J. Beathard 0-2, Ken Dorsey 0-2, Shaun Hill 0-1, Tim Rattay 0-1, Steve DeBerg 0-1.
Fun fact: Purdy has never thrown a touchdown pass in the last four minutes of a game.
More fun: Of Purdy’s 12 career fourth-quarter touchdown passes, only one resulted in a go-ahead score and that was Sunday’s 11-yarder to George Kittle, with 7 minutes left in a 23-20 win at Tampa Bay.
With a 26-10 record as a starter (including 4-2 in the playoffs), Purdy has not been forced into many fourth-quarter, air-it-out comebacks, though he did deliver go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter of their last three playoff wins — against Dallas in January 2023, against Green Bay and Detroit last January.
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McCAFFREY UPDATE
Christian McCaffrey emerged “sore but felt good” from Sunday’s season debut featuring 56 snaps, 15 touches and 103 yards from scrimmage. That launched his comeback after two-plus months battling Achilles tendinitis.
“When you’re dealing with an injury and come back, it’s a common misconception you have fresh legs,” McCaffrey said. “For a long time there I was struggling walking to the bathroom. So you can’t train for a long time. They’re fresh in the sense they haven’t been beat up, but you also have to get back into training. That’s why it takes long some times.”
While he rehabbed with the 49ers’ strength staff and sought advice from other athletes with similar ailments, McCaffrey was aghast at how outsiders portrayed themselves as experts in his plight.
“One thing I learned about the whole process is you get a lot of Instagram doctors out there,” McCaffrey said. “I had guys diagnosing my injury, PhD doctors.
“I’m watching a Sunday night game and some doctor is talking about my injury on TV,” McCaffrey added. “I couldn’t believe it. I’d never talked to him in my life, he’d never seen imaging, talked to me, diagnosed me. It’s just kind of the world we live in now.”
HEALTH CENTER
Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s session, but remaining out were left tackle Trent Williams (ankle, wrist), defensive end Nick Bosa (hip), punter Mitch Wishnowsky (back), cornerback Charvarius Ward (bereavement leave) and defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin).
Running backs Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) and Jordan Mason (shoulder; non-contact jersey) were limited, as were wide receiver Chris Conley (hamstring) and guard Jon Feliciano (knee).
LOCKING UP LENOIR
Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen is ecstatic the 49ers locked up Deommodore Lenoir to a five-year extension Wednesday, noting how Lenoir’s blossomed not only as an outside cornerback but one who excels inside against slot receivers when needed.
“(With) his play style and his versatility, he’s selfless. He’s a pure football player,” Sorensen said. “The old thought is guys who play nickel won’t get paid. It’s hard to do both. There’s more value than people realize, and people that know football know that’s hard to do.”
