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49ers grades in thrilling win vs. Lions to reach Super Bowl originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — How does one explain what happened Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium?
Maybe there is no sufficient explanation for how the 49ers rallied to beat the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
The 49ers did not give up hope even when it appeared as if all hope was lost.
“I’m proud to be a part of this team,” 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw said after the 49ers’ 34-31 victory at Levi’s Stadium. “And I’m proud of all the guys who fought.”
The 49ers showed plenty of fight and resiliency after falling behind 24-7 at halftime. This is the classic case of it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Here are their grades from an NFC Championship Game that becomes an instant classic.
Rushing offense
Christian McCaffrey had just 29 yards rushing on 10 carries in the first half. Then, emblematic of all the other areas of the team that showed dramatic improvements in the second half, the 49ers got rolling.
McCaffrey finished the game with 90 yards and two touchdowns on 20 rushing attempts. And quarterback Brock Purdy added 48 big yards on five rushing attempts.
“I thought it was the difference between winning and losing,” coach Kyle Shanahan said of Purdy’s scrambles.
Backup running back Elijah Mitchell stepped in for McCaffrey late in the game and scored on a 1-yard touchdown to give the 49ers a 10-point lead. McCaffrey left the lineup when he felt like he might have experienced a shoulder stinger. After the game, McCaffrey said he was just fine.
Grade: A
Passing offense
It was not a thing of beauty from start to finish, but Purdy made the plays when they were required for the 49ers to have any chance of the comeback.
Brandon Aiyuk had an acrobatic 51-yard reception in the third quarter that provided a big spark for the team. Then, Aiyuk caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Purdy on a third-and-goal situation that pulled the 49ers to within seven…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-grades-comeback-win-vs-050319430.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-01-29 05:03:19
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