It started with an outstretched right hand. Then, a bounce off the helmet. Another deflection off both hands. 

And finally, as he fell toward the ground, 49ers tight end George Kittle completed a juggling catch that brought San Francisco near midfield in the third quarter of their divisional-round playoff win over Dallas on Sunday. The 49ers later scored a touchdown to cap the drive and take a 16-9 lead with less than 15 minutes to go in the contest. San Francisco won 19-12.

Kittle had five catches for 95 yards, with that circus catch going for a 30-yard gain.

“I was like, ‘You know what, how could I make this as dramatic as possible,'” Kittle said in a postgame interview on the Fox broadcast. “Just shoutout to Brock [Purdy] — I actually wasn’t even in the progression and he still found me, so that’s all that matters.”

His connections with Purdy helped the rookie quarterback complete 19 of 29 passes for 214 yards in his second postseason game.

Running back Christian McCaffrey scored San Francisco’s lone touchdown, scampering in from two yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter. The score marked McCaffrey’s ninth touchdown since joining the 49ers mid-season.

In his sixth NFL season, Kittle caught 60 passes for 765 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns, carving out a significant role in the 49ers’ offense despite three different quarterbacks and a plethora of receiving options — from McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel to Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings — to make his fourth Pro Bowl.