SANTA CLARA–Down 17 points at halftime, the San Francisco 49ers rallied in the second half for an historic victory over the Detroit Lions, 34-31 at Levi’s Stadium in the NFC Championship on Sunday, January 28. It was a tale of two halves and with the victory the 49ers earn a spot in Super Bowl LVIII-where the Kansas City Chiefs will once again be their opponent, in a thrilling rematch of Super Bowl LIV.
The Lions came out roaring and attacking to open the game. They were the clear aggressor, running the ball at will and pressuring San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy on nearly 60% of his drop backs.
San Francisco Coach Kyle Shanahan gets his shot at revenge against Andy Reid with a different star-studded cast five years later, as the 49ers will face the Chiefs, who took down the Ravens 17-10 earlier Sunday.
It must have been a real motivating speech in the locker room by the Niners Head Coach, because the 49ers finally rose to the occasion and played like their lives were on the line. The Niners scored 17 points in the 3rd quarter, while blanking the Lions.
“Regardless of any of that stuff, we’re not going out like this,” Shanahan said. The 49ers are now tied for the largest comeback in NFC Championship Game history with the 2012 49ers, who also staged a 17-point comeback against the Atlanta Falcons to reach the Super Bowl
To make matters worse, Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell made two ill-advised decisions, electing to go for it twice on 4th down rather than kick the field goal on two separate drives. Campbell cost his team six potential points.
Those choices will be scrutinized and second guessed all off-season.
A Jake Moody field goal to open the third quarter started the comeback, and the Niners got the ball back when Detroit went for it on fourth-and-2 at San Francisco’s 28 and quarterback Jared Goff’s pass fell incomplete.
Two plays later, the Niners got the break and spark that kicked their comeback into overdrive. On first-and-10 from their 45, Purdy got the look he wanted with receiver Brandon Aiyuk one-on-one with Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor. Purdy let it fly but Vildor managed to stay deep and looked poised for the interception.
Instead, the ball bounced off Vildor’s facemask, bounced in the air, and the alert Aiyuk hauled it in for a 51-yard catch. Three plays later, Aiyuk caught a six-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to seven. Aiyuk’s remarkable circus catch absolutely changed the momentum of the game.
On Detroit’s next play from scrimmage, safety Tashaun Gipson hit Jahmyr Gibbs and forced a fumble that Arik Armstead recovered. Four plays, including the first of two 21-yard scrambles by Purdy, got the Niners into the end zone again and, in the matter of just eight minutes of game time, the Niners turned a 24-7 deficit into a tie game.
Meanwhile, the 49ers defense adjusted, allowing 34 rushing yards in the second half, coming up with two fourth-down stops and yielding just seven points. Detroit tightened up, dropping catchable passes, coughing up the fumble and struggling to keep drives alive.
Super Bowl LVIII will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, February 11 with a worldwide audience tuning in to watch the San Francisco 49ers attempt to win a record sixth Super Bowl.
