Mitchell is somewhat healthy again and showed last week against Arizona that he can still rumble. McCaffrey might be banged up, but that’s McCaffrey – he’ll be okay. The 49er ground game is the second-best in the NFL, punting away for 189 yards in the first win over the Seahawks and 170 the second time around. The opener against Chicago is the one outlier – and a very, very big one – with the 49ers going 11-1 when running for more than 101 yards, and 2-3 when it doesn’t.
San Francisco has yet to give the ball up in the two games against the Seahawks. However, it’s 0-4 when it turns the ball over multiple times, and that’s where the rookie QB comes into play. Yes, San Francisco will run and run some more, and then it’ll rely on its great defense. But to sound like a total cliché, these are the NFL Playoffs, and Brock Purdy is Brock Purdy. He has been terrific so far, but again on the lazy narrative, it’s a whole different ball game now. He was solid the first time against Seattle – 217 yards, two touchdowns, no picks – but he’s going to have to make plays under pressure, and all the pressure in this is on his shoulders.