The Seattle Seahawks enter Saturday's Divisional Round playoff game as seven-point favorites against the San Francisco 49ers. But the Niners have already shown that being labeled an underdog doesn't faze them. Last week in Philadelphia, San Francisco overcame the odds, upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.
"I think, at the end of the day, for us, we just focus on ourselves," quarterback Brock Purdy said on Wednesday. "We watched the film against Philly, and all of us were so eager to get better from that. And then, obviously, we're in the playoffs now. We stayed alive, and we're alive right now.
"So, for us, how can we just go and find a way, and play together, and play our standard of ball, as the 49ers? That's how we look at it. Obviously, yeah, you can call us underdogs and everything, but for us, we just focus on ourselves and go about it that way."
Lumen Field is notoriously tough for visiting teams. While 49ers fans travel well, the Seahawks are taking steps to prevent season-ticket holders from selling their seats. As a result, San Francisco's fan presence in Seattle may not match the energy seen in Week 1.
"It's one of the hardest places to play when it comes to the environment and the fans," Purdy said. "Every down matters, and you have to be on point with everything: your communication, the operation, things like that, because it all matters, it all adds up.
"But when you're on top of it, and you can execute on the road, it can feel really good when you do your job at a high level. So, tough place to play, but it's worth it if you're on top of your stuff."
Purdy has learned what it takes to handle high-pressure, win-or-go-home playoff situations—starting with his rookie season. Over time, he's embraced the challenge and the intensity that comes with postseason football.
"As I've played, you start to learn, and sort of feed off of the backs-against-the-wall kind of mentality of everybody there is wanting you to fail," Purdy said. "And all you got is your sideline and your team, and that's it. And obviously, some of The Faithful that travel and stuff, which is great.
"But it's almost this mentality of everybody's out against us, and we gotta defend ourselves and fight. And so, it's been a thing that I sort of learned as I've played, that I really do like it. And I know a lot of guys in the locker room do.
"If you're in the NFL as a competitor, you're going to love that challenge. That's the good thing about it. But at the end of the day, like I said, you've gotta go execute every single play, every single down, and then look up at the end and see what happens."
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