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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Playing in the NFC Championship for the third straight year — but the first at Levi’s Stadium — the San Francisco 49ers believed home-field advantage would help push them over the top and into the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
The Detroit Lions didn’t get the memo, dominating the 49ers in the first half. It wasn’t close; Detroit was on another level.
But thankfully for San Francisco, as they proved last week in the divisional round, these games last four quarters. And in the second half, the 49ers overcame a 17-point deficit by scoring 27 straight to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, a 34-31 victory on Sunday at Levi’s Field in the NFC Championship game.
With the win, the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 season. It’s San Francisco’s eighth appearance. If they win, it would be their sixth, tying them with the Steelers and Patriots for the most.
After an uneven first half, the 49ers got a gutty performance from quarterback Brock Purdy, who finished 20-of-31 for 267 yards, a touchdown and the first interception of his postseason career. Purdy also finished with 51 rushing yards on scrambles that kept the chains moving.
Purdy was 13-of-16 for 174 yards and a touchdown in the second half.
San Francisco also benefited from some fortuitous bounces in the second half, including a 51-yard reception by Brandon Aiyuk that bounced off the face mask of Detroit cornerback Kindle Vildor before settling into the talented receiver’s hands. That momentum-changing play led to an Aiyuk 6-yard catch for a score two plays later, cutting Detroit’s advantage to seven points midway through the third quarter.
NFC Championship highlights: Lions vs. 49ers
On the ensuing possession, safety Tashaun Gibson Jr. stripped Detroit rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs of the football and defensive tackle Arik Armstead recovered at Detroit’s 24-yard line.
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/49ers-come-back-from-brink-of-collapse-to-beat-lions-punch-super-bowl-ticket
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Publish date : 2024-01-29 03:11:03
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