Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) connects with Christian McCaffrey (23) on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter of the NFC wild-card playoff game, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA — Standing guard inside Levi’s Stadium’s northwest gate are statues of Dwight Clark and Joe Montana, re-enacting “The Catch” from the defining moment in 49ers history.
That iconic play launched a Super Bowl-winning dynasty from the 1981 season into the mid-90s. What made Clark’s game-winning, NFC-clinching touchdown even sweeter is that it came