Third Time a Charm - 49ers Back in Super Bowl following Epic Comeback over Lions

Playoffs - For the two teams meeting in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, no two clubs sit on completely opposite spectrums in terms of franchise success more than the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. While the 49ers own the most title game appearances in NFL history making their 19th appearance on Sunday, the Lions are the only NFC team yet to host or win a conference title game despite being one of the five oldest NFL franchises in all of football. And while it didn't look good for the 49er Faithful through the game's first two quarters, history once again repeated itself on Sunday and proved to be a thorn in the side of the Detroit Lions once more. During the NFL's regular season, quarterback Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers rarely found themselves trailing late in games and because of that, they did not have a single game-winning drive or fourth-quarter comeback under their belt all year. In the playoffs, however, they've had two in just as many games, pulling a rabbit out of their hat against both the Green Bay Packers and now the Detroit Lions. 

After erasing their first deficit of five or more points in the fourth quarter under head coach Kyle Shanahan a week ago against Green Bay, the 49ers did the unthinkable again by rallying from being down 17-points in the second half versus Detroit. The comeback would tie a 49ers franchise record for their largest playoff comeback, while also overcoming the largest halftime deficit in conference championship game history as teams were 0-21 all-time entering Sunday when trailing by 17+ at the half. With the Niners winning the coin-toss and electing to defer, it was the Lions offense that came out guns blazing to the tune of a 4-play, 75-yard drive that ended in the end zone following a 42-yard touchdown run by wide-receiver Jameson Williams. Looking to match Detroit's opening-drive score, the 49ers marched across midfield and into field goal range where rookie kicker Jake Moody missed wide-right on a 48-yard field goal attempt. Before you knew it, Detroit suddenly had a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter as many at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium looked stunned while their team's defense had absolutely no answer for the Lions' rushing attack. 

As soon as the first quarter came to an end, the San Francisco offense finally got rolling. 49ers running back sensation Christian McCaffrey took a short pass 28 yards and into the red zone where he would capitalize just two plays later with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. With the 49ers on the board and now trailing 14-7, their offensive woes in the first half were all but solved as their following possession ended in a third down interception when Purdy was pressured into throwing an errant pass into a sea of defenders. Several plays later, Detroit again found the end zone, this time by way of a 15-yard rushing touchdown by rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs. They would not be done there, however, adding a Mike Badgley field goal to take a commanding 24-7 lead at the half. Racking up 148 yards rushing on 21 carries thru the first two quarters, the Lions torched the 49er defense for the most rushing yards allowed in the first half in the seven seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan. 

With world renowned San Francisco-based band Journey performing at halftime, the song "Don't stop believin'" was played and was clearly the motto the 49ers coaching staff went with inside the locker room before the team came out in the second half to the tune of 27 unanswered-points. Despite the early hole the team dug themselves in, coach Shanahan's guys never wavered and took things one drive at a time, chipping away on offense and getting the much-needed stops on defense that eluded them in the first half. After settling for a field goal on their first possession to open the second half, the 49ers scored back-to-back touchdowns to tie the game at 24-all. Taking advantage of a pair of costly mistakes by Detroit on a 4th down gamble by head coach Dan Campbell to go for it instead of settling for a very manageable field goal attempt and a Gibbs fumble on the Lions' first play following San Francisco's first touchdown of the second half, the Niners suddenly found themselves right back in the thick of things. 

Before they stole all the momentum, the 49ers got a little luck on a 51-yard pass that Purdy launched towards the end zone that bounced off the helmet of a Lions defender and into the air where a leaping Brandon Aiyuk came down with the unbelievable catch that he would later credit to a ladybug that paid him a visit during pregame warmups. Purdy would award the efforts of his receiver just three plays later with a 6-yard touchdown pass to pull the Niners within seven. Cashing in on the Lions fumble, Purdy helped get his team inside the red zone with a 21-yard run that sparked a big second half for the 49ers QB on the ground. Two plays later, it was McCaffrey again who plowed into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown following Moody's point-after. After forcing a Detroit punt, the Niners took their first lead of the night on a 33-yard field goal. 

With another turnover on downs by the Lions offense despite again being in field goal range and trailing by only 3-points, coach Dan Campbell's gambling ways came back to haunt them once more. Seeking the final blow on offense, Purdy and McCaffrey -- two of the league's top MVP candidates, led the way and orchestrated an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from backup running back Elijah Mitchell who was summoned to fill-in for McCaffrey who needed a breather following a big 25-yard run on the prior play. Purdy also came up big on the play before McCaffrey's big gain, using his legs to pick up another 21-yards and move the chains on a key 3rd down conversion that kept the drive alive.

Trailing by 10 with just over 3-minutes remaining, Detroit was in need of a quick score if they wanted to pull off a stunning comeback of their own. Aided by a big play on a 25-yard reception from Lions quarterback Jared Goff to receiver Josh Reynolds, Detroit marched their way to the 1-yard line before a big stop by the duo of San Francisco's Javon Kinlaw and Fred Warner which led to a 2-yard loss. But on 4th down from inside the 5, Goff connected on a pass in the back of the end zone to Jameson Williams, cutting the deficit to a field goal with 1-minute remaining. Lining up for an on-side kick, 49ers tight-end George Kittle scooped up the ball which allowed Purdy and the offense to milk the rest of the clock and seal the 34-31 victory for San Francisco. 

In what will go down as a classic game and live forever in 49ers lore, it was certainly a whirlwind of emotions for both sides and from players and fans alike. Before pulling off their epic comeback when trailing by 17-points, one Detroit Lions player went as far as waving goodbye to 49er fans sitting in attendance. That player would be none other than cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson who has had an ongoing beef with Deebo Samuel of the 49ers dating back to last season's NFC title game loss to Philadelphia, who even tried getting in a cheap-shot during Purdy's second quarter interception. Hopefully those same fans stuck around and returned the favor with the waving as it was Deebo and company who got the last laugh on Sunday. In the end, Detroit was left seeking their first road win in San Francisco since 1971 and their first ever Super Bowl appearance, as their road playoff losing streak has now reached an NFL record 11 straight. As for the 49ers, coach Shanahan is now 6-0 at home in his playoff career. 

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 267 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the win, while also adding another 48 yards rushing on 5 carries, giving him 315 combined yards which are the most ever by a 49ers QB in a conference title game victory. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished with 132 all purpose yards after 90 on the ground and another 42 receiving, as well as another pair of touchdowns to give him 25 on the season, breaking a tie with the great Jerry Rice for the most in team history in a single-season including playoffs. Deebo Samuel who was questionable to even play in Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, finished with a team-high 89-yards receiving on 8 receptions. 

Super Bowl Preview: After defeating the Lions to punch their ticket to the big game, the San Francisco 49ers logged their 38th playoff win in franchise history, breaking a tie with the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots for the most in NFL history. They will attempt to add one more win to that total in two weeks from now when they face off against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas in what will be a rematch of Super Bowl 54 which took place in Miami just 4 years ago. With a laundry list of storylines, the QB matchup is always one of the biggest headlines and this year is no different. While Mahomes versus Purdy might not be the big sexy QB match-up pundits wanted, the meeting does pin a QB vying to become arguably the greatest of all-time against another QB who has already laid claim to being the greatest Mr. Irrelevant of all-time in only his second season in the league and first full season as a starter. Already the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a pass in the NFL, Brock Purdy will now become the first player with that title to appear in a Super Bowl. Despite being one of the leading MVP candidates and even being the frontrunner to win the award for a good portion of the season, Purdy doesn't seem to have much of a chance prevailing over Mahomes according to NFL analysts, even with Vegas oddsmakers saying otherwise. 

Other storylines feature the McCaffrey family as Niners running back Christian McCaffrey will be playing in his first career Super Bowl, hoping to become just the second father-son duo to win a Super Bowl title with the same franchise. Before he was a back-to-back Super Bowl champion and a go-to target for the John Elway-led Broncos that won a pair of titles under Kyle's father Mike Shanahan, Christian's father Ed McCaffrey won a Super Bowl as a wide-receiver with the 49ers in 1994, their most recent championship. Kyle Shanahan will also try to join his father Mike by winning his first Super Bowl as head coach. Another is 49ers left-tackle and future Hall of Famer Trent Williams who is heading to his first Super Bowl after 14 seasons in the NFL. 

The betting lines opened up with San Francisco touted as 2.5 point favorites, but that spread has since dropped to just 1-point in favor of the 49ers. With Mahomes on the other side and the Chiefs being the reigning Super Bowl champs, it's hard to bet against a team that has proven time and time again that they know how to flip the switch and get things done come playoff time. For San Francisco, the team can ill-afford another slow start like the ones they've had in each of the last two games against the Packers and Lions, especially against a Patrick Mahomes-led offense, which in spite of being less potent than they were in their previous Super Bowl meeting against the Niners, are still very dangerous as proven in their playoff journey this season. The key to success in slowing and stopping Mahomes lies in pressuring the QB and containing his favorite target Travis Kelce. With a lackluster receiving corps in comparison to years past, the future Hall of Fame tight-end is the one guy the San Francisco defense has to keep tabs on and cannot let beat them. The 49ers will also have a tough task against the Kansas City defense which is also much improved since the last time they met in the big game. 

After dispatching the No. 1-seeded Ravens on the road in Baltimore to win the AFC and eliminating the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, both on the road, Kansas City will be making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last five seasons under head coach Andy Reid. For head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers, the team hopes to get their revenge after spoiling a 10-point fourth quarter lead against K.C. back in 2020, when the team was oh so close to winning their elusive sixth Super Bowl title.  

Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

The Ride Continues, Vegas Advances to Stanley Cup Final

For a little over eight months now, the Vegas Golden Knights have taken us on an unforgettable journey and have assembled an inaugural season for the history books. The successful first season which has caught everyone off guard is one that not even general manager George McPhee who helped assemble this team through the Expansion Draft could've saw coming. The ride which began in winning fashion on the road in Dallas in Vegas' season-opener on October 6, following the mass shooting which took place just a stones throw away from the Knights' home arena on October 1, will now continue onto the Stanley Cup Final. But what has been looked upon as somewhat of a Cinderella story, expands much further than just the product on the ice. What began as a pipe dream for Vegas locals and team owner Bill Foley alike, to have an NHL franchise in the city of sin, quickly evolved into a dream come true and has since then trickled into becoming the greatest story in all of sports. Since being chosen over Quebec City to become the NHL's first expansion franchise since the year 2000 and the first major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas' history, the Golden Knights who finished the regular season with an overall record of 51-24-7 to claim the Pacific Division, quickly gained the attention of the hockey world and have refused to relinquish it.

For a city that has never experienced having a professional sports franchise in either of the big four North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL), fans of the Golden Knights haven't had to wait long at all to witness their team endure success. Whether it's been the surprising out-of-nowhere season by castoff William Karlsson who logged an expansion team-record 43 goals this year or the spectacular season by the 33-year old Marc-Andre Fleury who reestablished himself as one of the best goaltenders in all of hockey, it's hard to pinpoint the main source of Vegas' success. And while the puck has yet to drop for the Stanley Cup Final as their Eastern Conference opponent has yet to be determined out of either the Washington Capitals or the Tampa Bay Lightning, VGK whom have already exceeded all expectations and then some, continue to win over the hearts of the entire Vegas community, serving as the perfect antidote to at least help heal the collective wound left from the October 1 shooting. The team could've been swept from the playoffs by the division rival L.A. Kings in the first round and Vegas fans would've still been more than impressed with the outcome of the season. Instead, Vegas' improbable run has helped them become just the third franchise in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, joining the 1918 Toronto Arenas who won it all and the 1968 St. Louis Blues who made it to the Final in each of their first three seasons, but failed to hoist Lord Stanley in all three attempts.

After making quick work of the Kings in a four-game sweep, followed by a round 2 triumph over the San Jose Sharks which took six games, Vegas needed only five games to dispose of the Winnipeg Jets, despite being overwhelmed on the road in the series-opener, only to win the next four and claim the Western Conference title. Vegas would get some much needed help from the most unlikeliest of heroes in the series-clinching win as Winnipeg native Ryan Reaves who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 23 via trade, couldn't have picked a better time to notch his first goal in a Knights uniform than his game-winning score which came at 13:21 of the second period to make it a 2-1 Vegas advantage. That score would stick as goalie Marc-Andre Fleury kept Winnipeg off the board the rest of the way, helping his team advance to the Final and improve to 10-0 in the Playoffs when leading after two periods. As for Fleury, it'll be his third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final and fourth trip overall.

And now we play the waiting game to see who will be next on the menu as the Golden Knights enjoy the little time off before head coach Gerard Gallant has them prepare for the winner of the Eastern Conference which currently stands at 3 games to 2 in favor of Tampa. Regardless of who wins, Vegas has to like their chances considering they swept both teams during the regular season to go a perfect 4-0, including a signature win back in mid-January on the road in Tampa Bay against the league's best team. Though we're days away from seeing the Golden Knights in action again, you can already feel the buzz in the air and hear the chants of "Go Knights Go!" which will be in full effect come game Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. And Champions or not, the unforgettable journey this team has taken us on is one the city and fans won't soon forget.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest 

Third Town a Charm for Raiders?

The entertainment capital of the world just got a whole lot more entertaining. If you haven't heard by now, the Oakland Raiders are the latest NFL franchise to get the green light to relocate after 31 of 32 team owners approved the move. And when they leave Oakland for their new home which most likely won't be until the 2020 season when the construction of their new $1.7 Billion dollar domed stadium is expected to be complete, they'll be playing where no NFL team has ever played before -- Las Vegas. It's been a long time coming for Vegas to be taken seriously by the NFL even if the possibility of the Raiders coming to town has only been in the news for a few blinks of the eye after Raiders owner Mark Davis was given the shaft by Commissioner Roger Goodell when he tried moving the team to Los Angeles a little over a year ago. After those hopes went up in flames in favor of the Rams relocating to L.A. instead, Davis had his sights set on the glitz and glamour of Sin City. All the NFL needed to make the lofty dreams of relocating the Raiders (or any other franchise for that matter) to Las Vegas a reality was an organization to take the risk which in this case proved to be the NHL. And now just nine months after Sin City was approved for its NHL team -- the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas will be awarded its second professional sports franchise. 

It's hard to believe that after being deprived of a single professional sports team for so long, Vegas will now have two at the drop of a hat. But with the issue of gambling no longer a blockade and now archaic as its ever been at least in regards to a pro sports franchise, Vegas is no longer looked upon as being that forbidden destination for an NFL team. Or in Disney terms, Vegas is no longer that dark place on the map like in the Lion King that Mufasa tabs as off limits for Simba to step foot on although he would later do so anyways. Players living in Vegas and playing for the Raiders will now have to follow strict guidelines that prohibits them from sports betting. And though this is nothing new, now calling the world capital of gambling home could be a bit more enticing seeing as their new facility will be next door to a casino. Similar to how those playing for teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, two places that in recent years legalized the use of marijuana, have to avoid using the drug.

Relocation is something Raiders fans know all too well after then team owner Al Davis moved the team from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982 only to head back to Oakland some 13 years later. But at least then the Raiders were some 370 miles away from their birthplace and still in the state of California. Now they're taking on an entirely new image by moving out of state, albeit only a state away. Still, it's worth seeing if the fan base which is among the most loyal fan bases in all of football is willing to follow them on their latest and perhaps their most disappointing business endeavor, especially considering few teams in all of sports mean more to their community than what the Raiders mean to the city of Oakland. With a deal already in place to move the Golden State Warriors who are currently next door neighbors to the Raiders at Oracle Arena across the bay to San Francisco, Oakland sports fans will soon be left with only the MLB's Oakland Athletics. But with the A's still playing ball within the crumbling walls of the Oakland Coliseum which is said to have had pluming issues for years now and is the only remaining MLB team that still shares a home with an NFL team, who's to say the Athletics won't be next to pack up their bags and leave? Or perhaps the city of Oakland can take note of the A's being their last hope and somehow work a deal to at least keep one of their beloved franchises in the East Bay.

What's also unfortunate for Oakland Raiders fans is the timing of the relocation. For the first time in over a decade, the Raiders are relevant again and are coming off a rejuvenating 12-4 season in 2016 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2002. With a promising crop of talent led by QB Derek Carr, WR Amari Cooper and reigning Defensive MVP Khalil Mack under the tutelage of head coach Jack Del Rio, the Raiders are finally on the right path of competing for a Super Bowl. Sadly, if and when that title comes, it'll most likely be while calling Vegas home and not Oakland. Then again had Carr not suffered a season ending leg injury in the second to last week of the season, they could've been a real threat to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC. In what will be the NFL's third relocation in the last 14 months, the Raiders will now leave the 6th biggest media market in the country for the 40th, joining the Rams' decision to flee St. Louis for L.A. last season and the Chargers' decision to leave San Diego for L.A.in January. This many moves in such little time is never a good thing for a league but after living in Vegas for three quarters of my life, I have a hard time seeing an NFL team NOT succeeding here. In my personal experience I've learned that Vegas is a city that thrives on whats new and whats in, so if you're a Vegas local and weren't a football fan already, chances are it won't be long before you see the light.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest

LUCY, I'M HOME!

Thanks for tuning into my Blog. This is my 1st entry, and a few things you can expect are; The latest in Sports, Fashion, Music, Films, World-wide News, Dining, Random Celeberity Bashing, My daily Rant's, The Daily Life in LV, Celebrity Look-a-like's, and just a bunch of random shit, all bundled into one. If it ain't here, it ain't important. Hope you enjoy! ;)