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When the Seahawks and 49ers meet for the third time this season, the weather could become an issue. On Thursday, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if the conditions could be an equalizer.
“I always think bad weather slows down the game and evens things out, but if it’s a game, three and a half hours into the playoffs, I look at all the games as equal,” Shanahan told reporters. “I know we’re favoured, I know what people are saying, but this is the NFL and this is the playoffs and last time we played it it came down to final possession, I expect that it is the same.”
In other words, take the Seahawks and the points.
Shanahan was also asked if he has a plan B in case conditions become a real problem.
“You’ve got everything in the game plan so it goes every which way, not just because of the weather but if you’re struggling in any way, so you’ve always planned that and we know it’s a huge possibility,” he said Shanahan . “We’ll see how it plays out on both sides and we’ll adjust accordingly.”
Obviously, the question is whether quarterback Brock Purdy will be successful in tough weather conditions. Shanahan was impressed with Purdy’s performance in a rainy practice session on Wednesday.
“He did a good job,” Shanahan said of the rookie, who has won each of his five starts. “I did a group install with the defense before and he definitely did a lot better than me. I couldn’t function at all so it was definitely cool to watch him after what was supposed to be, but no, I think he’s familiar with it just because he played college football and had a good practice yesterday. ”
Whether the conditions pose a problem remains to be seen. The 49ers started their season in heavy rain against the Bears in Chicago, and things didn’t go well. This time it will be interesting to see if the weather gives the Seahawks a better chance of becoming the first No. 7 to beat a No. 2 since the postseason expanded to 14 teams in 2020.