Purdy leads Offense on 4th Quarter Comeback vs Pack to Inch Niners closer to Super Bowl

Playoffs - Continuing their quest for a sixth Super Bowl title and the franchise's first since the 1994 season, the NFC's number 1 seed San Francisco 49ers opened their 2023 Playoff campaign by playing host to the 7 seed Green Bay Packers. With Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad enjoying a Bye week in the NFL's Wild Card round a week earlier, the team watched and prepped from afar as the Packers became the youngest team in NFL history to win a playoff game following their blowout 48-32 win on the road over the 2 seed Dallas Cowboys. With no easy task remaining on the schedule for anyone at this point in the NFL season, San Francisco still opened up at the casinos as double-digit favorites with a trip to the NFC title game on the line. But with inclement weather in the forecast and rain expected to fall virtually all night long, the two teams that have met more than any others in the playoffs, would take centerstage on a wet and soggy field at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium. With the poor field conditions hindering both teams in all facets, the Niners would see their home field advantage dwindle as the playing field was leveled against an inferior opponent due in large part to the weather. 

As far as streaks go, Green Bay entered Saturday's Divisional round meeting against San Francisco riding a 4-game winning streak. In what would be the 10th postseason meeting all-time between the two franchises, the most in NFL history, the Niners entered the latest chapter of this rivalry with four straight wins in the head-to-head matchup, dating back to 2013. But with how the game started as San Francisco lost one of their best players in Deebo Samuel to a shoulder injury just several plays into their first drive and how things were shaping out even into the final minutes of the fourth quarter, it looked like Green Bay was finally on their way to ending their skid against the team that has ended their season so often over the last decade plus. Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive, the Packers began the game with a long opening-drive that lasted nearly 8-minutes on 16-plays, before having to settle for a field goal. After forcing a punt on San Francisco's opening possession, quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers offense were right back at it, making it to the red zone before stalling out inside the 15-yard line when Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur dialed up a QB sneak that was denied on 4th and 1, resulting in a turnover on downs. 

Taking advantage of Green Bay deciding to leave points off the board, Niners quarterback Brock Purdy began to kickstart the offense despite having trouble gripping the ball virtually all game long, showing just how uncomfortable he was throwing the ball in the rain. Even electing to go with a throwing glove in the early going, Purdy soon ditched the glove just one series later. But on one of his better throws of the night, San Francisco's signal-caller stepped up on a 3rd and 5 and launched a deep ball 32-yards into the end zone where he found tight-end George Kittle for the go-ahead touchdown. With the Packers adding another field goal on their next drive to make it a 1-point game, San Francisco had hoped to add to their lead before heading into the half, but a 48-yard field goal attempt by 49ers kicker Jake Moody was blocked to keep it a 7-6 San Francisco advantage thru the first two quarters. Opening the second half just as flat on offense as they did in the first, the 49ers were held to a three and out on their first possession of the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Packers began the half with their best offensive possession yet, aided by a 41-yard defensive pass interference call on 3rd and 15 by Niners cornerback Ambry Thomas who had a forgetful night for the San Francisco secondary.

One play later, Love found a wide-open receiver in the end zone as rookie Bo Melton hauled in his one and only grab on the night and made it count from 19-yards out for a touchdown. Igniting what would be a series of back-and-forth scores between the two teams, San Francisco answered on the other end with back-to-back big plays, the first of which on a 32-yard reception from Purdy to Kittle. Running back Christian McCaffrey would let his presence be known on the next play, taking a handoff up the middle and breaking a tackle on his way to paydirt as San Francisco retook a 14-13 lead. The Niners' lead would be short-lived, however, as the Packers nearly got it back on the ensuing kickoff as return man Keisean Nixon almost took it to the house before being stopped from behind and fumbling the ball. With Green Bay recovering the fumble, the 73-yard return by Nixon helped his team reclaim the lead with Love finding tight-end Tucker Kraft all alone just a few plays later for a 2-yard touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion on a bubble-screen to a wide-open Aaron Jones, the Packers took a 21-14 lead, their largest of the night. 

Forcing another San Francisco punt, Green Bay appeared to have the Niners right where they wanted them, with a chance to add to their lead and make it a two-score game. But Jordan Love who was red-hot entering Saturday's game having thrown 21 touchdowns to just 1 interception since Week 10, threw two costly interceptions down the stretch in what was the biggest game of his career up to this point. The first of which on an errant pass that was tipped, making for an easy pick by Niners linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Although they would only get a field goal out of it as Jake Moody split the uprights from 52-yards out, the bit into the deficit to make it a 21-17 game to start the fourth quarter. With trips to the red zone on each of their first five possessions, Green Bay was held to their first punt of the night on their first drive of the fourth quarter. Holding San Francisco to a punt of their own, Packers running back Aaron Jones appeared to have dealt the final blow on the first play of their next possession, finding a hole and darting ahead for a 53-yard gain to put him over the 100-yard mark, becoming the first 100+ yard rusher allowed by the 49ers in 51 games, snapping the longest active streak in the NFL. 

The big night for Jones would be just another day at the office for the Packers back who eclipsed the century mark for the fifth consecutive game. Unfortunately for Green Bay, their drive would stall out there, settling for an Anders Carlson field goal that he missed wide left from 41-yards out. No kicker had missed more kicks all season than Carlson who's 13th miss of the year would prove to be the most costly, keeping it a 4-point game. Taking over with under 7-minutes remaining in regulation, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy who hadn't played particularly well while battling the elements, would have yet another chance to silence the critics. With a trip to the NFC title game on the line, Purdy would lead his team down the field by orchestrating a 13-play, 69-yard drive, converting on two key third downs before handing the ball off to his running back Christian McCaffrey who plowed forward 6-yards for his second rushing touchdown of the evening. With just 1:07 remaining in the fourth, the 49ers found themselves back on top leading 24-21. 

Since taking over the 49ers' head coaching job in 2017, no head coach has had a worse record when trailing by more than 5 points entering the fourth quarter than San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan who owned a dismal record of 0-31, including playoffs. But against his good friend and former colleague Matt LaFleur, Shanahan's team would find a way to pull it out and end the streak. Having a knack for trying to play hero-ball in an up and down first half of the season, Love reverted back to his old ways on a last-ditch effort on their ensuing possession. With a 1st & 10 from their own 36-yard line, Love was flushed from the pocket and threw an off-balance pass across the field and into trouble as San Francisco's Dre Greenlaw made a diving grab to secure his second interception of the night and seal the win for the 49ers, but not before stressing out the fans and his coaches alike by running around and breaking a few tackles when all he needed to do was go down. After being questionable to even play in Saturday's game with an Achilles injury, Greenlaw came up with two of the biggest plays of the game on defense and the only two interceptions on the night as San Francisco sent Green Bay home early in the playoffs for a fifth straight time. 

In the win, Brock Purdy threw for 252 yards and 1 touchdown on 23 of 39 pass attempts. 49ers tight-end George Kittle caught a touchdown pass and led his team in receiving yards with 81, followed by receiver Jauan Jennings who stepped up in the absence of Deebo Samuel in the opening quarter with 5 receptions for 61 yards. Running back Christian McCaffrey tallied 128 total yards, including 98 on the ground and rushed for 2 touchdowns on 17 carries, tying him with the great Jerry Rice for the most scrimmage TDs in a season (including playoffs) in 49ers franchise history with 23. Meanwhile, Jordan Love who tallied his lowest passer rating since Week 9 (72.4), threw for 194 yards on 21 of 34 attempts, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the loss for Green Bay. Romeo Doubs finished with a game-high 83-yards receiving on 4 receptions and running back Aaron Jones led all rushers with 108 yards on 18 carries. 

NFC Championship Preview: Making his second trip to the NFC Championship game in as many years as a pro will be 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. As for his team, it'll be San Francisco's third straight title game appearance and their fourth trip to the NFC Championship in the last five seasons. Looking to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, the 49ers will play host to the No. 3 seed Detroit Lions who stand in their way. Winners of the NFC North, Lions quarterback Jared Goff who is 0-5 in his last five meetings against the Niners, leads an explosive Detroit offense who's list of weapons are second to only that of the 49ers. The Lions advanced to only their second-ever NFC title game in franchise history and the organization's first since 1991 after dispatching the No. 4 seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23 on Sunday. Eying their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, Lions QB Jared Goff hopes to make it to a second Super Bowl after losing to the Patriots as a member of the Rams in 2018. 

In what is expected to be another hard-fought battle for the 49ers, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan knows his team can ill-afford another performance like the one his team mustered up against Green Bay. And with no rain projected in the forecast, it's unlikely they'll get another sloppy performance from their QB in what will be the biggest game of his life as last year's Mr. Irrelevant goes toe-to-toe with a former 1st overall pick at quarterback. Another area San Francisco will need to do much better in is getting to the quarterback as the 49ers failed to record a single sack versus the Packers. They'll also need to clean up some of the penalties that hurt them in the Divisional round, specifically on defense in the secondary. One key going into the game will be whether or not Brock Purdy will have Deebo Samuel at his disposal, as the self-proclaimed wide-back will be a game-time decision with a shoulder injury that kept him out of all but the opening-drive against Green Bay. If history repeats itself, the 49ers will at least have that in their favor as the Lions have lost 13 consecutive road playoff games with their last road playoff win taking place on November 22, 1957 against the 49ers in the NFL Championship. However, the 49ers currently own a 13-game home win streak against the Lions dating back to 1975. 

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More Injury Woes at QB Doom Niners' Super Bowl hopes

Playoffs - Entering Sunday's NFC Championship between the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers and No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles, many football fans were hoping to see similar fireworks to the 42-41 shootout that took place back in November of 2019 when both team's quarterbacks last faced one another at the collegiate level. Brock Purdy's Iowa State Cyclones nearly upset Jalen Hurts and the heavily-favored Oklahoma Sooners in a wild game that came down to the final play and featured 11 total touchdowns between the two QB's. Fast forward to Championship Sunday, those hopes would come to a screeching halt rather early as we were deprived of what could've been and were left with something that hardly resembled a playoff football game. 

What was expected to be a brawl between two heavyweights that rank at or near the top in almost every major offensive and defensive statistical category, quickly turned into a handicap match just one drive in for the visiting 49ers. Despite entering Sunday's game with a franchise record 12-game winning-streak, many touted San Francisco would have a long day ahead of them, most notably at quarterback with rookie Brock Purdy given the Eagles' stout defense coupled with the hostile environment that is Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, but nothing could've prepared them for the piss-poor luck they would endure at the QB position yet again during Sunday's game. In fact, it would be the exact opposite for Purdy who had his day cut short due to injury. In a classic case of, "anything that can go wrong will go wrong," San Francisco began their day on defense where their defensive captain in 2022 Pro-Bowl and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner would leave the field with an injury on the third play from scrimmage. Though Warner would eventually reenter the game a few plays later, his brief exit would be a bad omen for things to come for San Francisco. Facing a 4th and 3 near midfield, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni would show his aggressiveness by dialing up a deep pass along the sideline to receiver DeVonta Smith. 

The play would fetch 29-yards on a catch that wasn't, as replays on TV showed the ball come loose and hit the ground upon further review. But with Philly rushing to hike the ball and insufficient evidence at the time for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to risk losing a timeout with an early challenge in the game's opening minutes with only seconds to react, the Eagles successfully got away with one and capitalized just two plays later with a 6-yard rushing touchdown from running back Miles Sanders. Looking to answer with their first possession on offense, the 49ers began moving the ball and converted on a pair of first downs before disaster struck. Facing a 2nd and 6 on San Francisco's sixth play from scrimmage, QB Brock Purdy took a hit to his throwing arm that jarred the ball loose up into the air and nearly intercepted. What was initially ruled an incompletion would wind up being a fumble as Sirianni threw his challenge flag and was awarded the ball on what would be Purdy's first career fumble. But even worse than the turnover and adding insult to injury, Purdy would exit the game with an elbow injury and would have to be attended to by the team's medical staff. Already down to their third-string quarterback, the 49ers' unbelievable luck would turn from bad to worse as they were forced to call upon their fourth-string QB in journeyman Josh Johnson. 

With both teams exchanging punts for the greater part of the first quarter, San Francisco would finally find an answer thanks to a 23-yard touchdown run from Christian McCaffrey who bounced free from one tackle and broke another on his way to the end zone in the second quarter. It would mark the 9th straight game with a touchdown for McCaffrey, the longest streak by a 49er since Terrell Owens in 1998. After benefiting from the phantom catch on their first drive, Philadelphia's ensuing possession would be fueled by a barrage of 49er penalties (four in total) that ended with another touchdown from Miles Sanders who found the end zone for a second time. With the 49ers now trailing 14-7, any hopes of taking some momentum into the locker room at the half went out the window on San Francisco's following possession. With under two-minutes to go and San Francisco set to receive the second half kick-off, the Niners were in prime position to tie the game or at least put a dent in Philadelphia's lead. Instead, Johnson fumbled the snap and was unable to recover the ball, giving Philadelphia a golden opportunity to add to their lead before halftime.  

They often say teams in the NFL will only go as far as their quarterback will take them. San Francisco had rewrote that mantra a few times this season after injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, but with Brock Purdy falling to injury on San Francisco's first drive, the team's luck would finally run out and they would hit a brick wall. Having played for 13 different NFL franchises throughout his professional career, Johnson looked every bit like a quarterback who has had trouble sticking around with one team. Despite lacking that big play ability, all his coach and teammates had asked of Johnson was to keep his team in the game by avoiding the costly mistakes. Something he would fail to do. Unlike the Purdy fumble, the Eagles would cash in on Johnson's gaffe with a third rushing touchdown, this time from running back Boston Scott. Trailing 21-7 to start the second half, the injury bug would strike the 49ers quarterback position yet again as Johnson would also be forced to leave the game due to injury after sustaining a concussion on San Francisco's first possession of the third quarter. 

With Purdy checking back into the game, coach Shanahan had kicked the tires on appointing emergency quarterback duties to running back Christian McCaffrey who was seen shuffling through helmets with the team's equipment staff, before Shanahan elected to summon his starter again. Clearly in pain and limited in what he could do with the football, Purdy toughed it out to finish the ballgame, attempting only two passes the rest of the way, both on short screen-passes that traveled no more than 3-yards each. With the Philadelphia defense stacking the box to stop the run on virtually every down, it was like shooting fish in a barrel against a 49er offense that would be a shell of its former self, relegated to one-dimension and handcuffed for the remainder of the game with no other healthy quarterback options on the active roster. While the Eagles added another touchdown and a field goal, San Francisco's last two possessions ended in a turnover on downs and a Deebo Samuel fumble. Having lost the turnover battle and a pair of quarterbacks to boot, penalties would also add to the team's agony and dig an even bigger hole than they would be able to crawl out of as San Francisco was called for 11 penalties on the afternoon to Philly's 4. Despite falling by a final score of 31-7, San Francisco's defense held the Eagles' No. 1 ranked offense in Yards Per Game to just 269 total yards. 

If you ever wondered what a team that has their soul ripped out in the opening minutes looked like, look no further than San Francisco's first offensive possession when Purdy went down with the injury. Purdy finished with 23 yards passing and 4 for 4 on completions, meanwhile Johnson threw for 74 yards on 7 of 13 passes. Running back Christian McCaffrey would be the lone bright spot for the Niners by tallying 106 yards of total offense and a touchdown in the loss. Eagles QB and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts did not impress by any means, throwing for a modest 121 yards on 15 of 25 attempts, while adding another 39 yards and a rushing touchdown on 11 carries, but managed to play a turnover-free game. On a relatively quiet day for the Eagle offense, no member of the team collected more than 36 yards receiving. For San Francisco who finished with a record of 15-5, the season comes to a bitter end as Kyle Shanahan's 49ers have now lost in back to back NFC Championships and will head into the offseason with even more questions at the quarterback position. With plenty of unknowns surrounding Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy who confirmed on Monday that he had suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow that will require him to recover for at least the next six months and possibly longer with a decision yet to be made on undergoing surgery, it's shaping up to be a long off-season for the 49er Faithful. Not to mention the void that will need to be filled at defensive-coordinator with DeMeco Ryans a shoo-in to land the Houston Texans head coaching gig. 

Super Bowl LVII: Clinching their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history and first since winning it all in 2017, Philadelphia will head to the desert to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona, seeking just their second Super Bowl trophy. As for K.C. who will be making their third Super Bowl appearance in four years, the team will be vying for a third Super Bowl trophy and second under head coach Andy Reid who will be facing his former team. 

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49ers Send Cowboys Home Again, Face Philly for NFC Title

Playoffs - Dating back to the 1970's, few rivalries in the NFL have been as heated as the rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Though the rivalry has lost some of its sizzle since the 1990's, things are beginning to warm up again between the two franchises who have now met in the playoffs for a second consecutive season. After dispatching Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in Dallas in the Wild Card round a season ago, the 49ers looked to repeat the feat of handing Dallas back to back exits from the playoffs on Sunday, this time playing host to the Cowboys at Levi's Stadium in the Divisional round. One step closer to the Super Bowl and with some home cooking, head coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers were able to do just that in a game that was highlighted by stellar defense. 

With San Francisco's defense ranked number one in the league, Dallas' stout defense answered the call for much of the game as well and came out guns blazing by holding the Niners to a three and out punt on their opening-possession. The Cowboys would show a bit more life on their first drive but were also held to a punt to start the game. Following a second 49er punt, the defense made their presence felt by intercepting a Dak Prescott pass on a third and long. Jumping out in front of Dallas' Michael Gallup was second-year cornerback Deommodore Lenoir who logged his second interception in as many weeks after picking off Seattle's Geno Smith a week ago. While the 49ers would turn the turnover into points, they were held to just a field goal as kicker Robbie Gould began what would be a busy day at the office. With San Francisco striking first and Dallas trailing 3-0, Dak and company would have the 49er defense floundering for the one and only time all game. Orchestrating a 17-play, 79-yard drive that lasted 7:47 of game time, Dak found tight-end Dalton Schultz with a short pass for the 4-yard score. 

Thanks to a blocked extra-point attempt by San Francisco's Samson Ebukam who also logged a sack on the afternoon, the 49ers found themselves trailing 6-3. San Francisco would answer right back with another field goal -- a 47-yarder from Gould to tie the game at 6. With the Cowboys chipping away at the field and trending towards another score, the 49er defense came through once again, this time in the red zone as All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner corralled an interception tipped by safety Jimmie Ward. Looking to put some more points on the board before the half, the 49ers narrowly avoided disaster with some questionable clock-management from both coach Shanahan and rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. Electing to use a timeout after showing little urgency and letting precious seconds tick away was Shanahan before Purdy got rid of the ball just in the nick of time with an out of bounds incompletion that left 1-second remaining on the clock. In came Gould who split the uprights for a third time in the first half to give the Niners a 9-6 lead at halftime. 

In the days leading up to the game, a pair of knuckleheads on a Dallas sports radio station had wished an injury on 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Instead, they would witness one of their own fall victim to the injury bug in running back Tony Pollard who had to be carted off the field with an ankle injury, forcing him to miss the second half. With Dallas opening the second half with the ball, the 49er defense was able to force the Cowboys offense off the field with a punt, but only for a short period as Dallas was given another chance following a fumbled punt return by Ray-Ray McCloud. Given a second opportunity and with prime field position, Dallas was able to tie the game with a 25-yard field goal from Brett Maher who had missed four of five extra-point attempts the week prior against Tampa Bay. After exchanging punts, the 49ers would string together their best drive of the evening, marching 76-yards in 14 plays that spanned exactly 6-minutes. Capping off the impressive drive that was highlighted by a 30-yard circus catch made by tight-end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey began to finally find holes in the Dallas defense and punched thru for a 2-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. 

Both teams would exchange field goals before a bit of unnecessary drama ensued as San Francisco insisted on making things harder on themselves down the stretch than they needed to be before ultimately avoiding disaster. Receiving a punt with 2:05 remaining in regulation, the 49ers were in need of a first down following the two-minute warning to clinch the win and milk the clock. While they would get the much-needed first down on a 13-yard scamper from running back Elijah Mitchell, the second-year back ran out of bounds, stopping the clock and allowing Dallas to successfully use their timeouts after getting a stop to get the ball back for one final last-ditch attempt. After missing a chance to ice the game with a would-be pick-six interception from linebacker Dre Greenlaw who dropped the ball, San Francisco whiffed again when Arik Armstead collided in the end zone with Prescott who avoided the safety and got rid of the ball with an incompletion. After a pair of short passes and the clock down to 6-seconds, the Cowboys would dial up one final play that was blown up by Jimmie Ward, eliminating any chance at a lateral-type miracle. Pulling off the 19-12 win, the 49ers booked their second straight trip to the NFC Championship and their third trip in four years. Meanwhile, the Cowboys now have 12 straight playoff appearances without playing in a Conference Championship game, the longest streak in NFL history. 

Relying on the defense for much of the game, Niners QB Brock Purdy threw for 214 yards on 19 of 29 pass attempts and was able to avoid the costly turnovers that plagued his counterpart in Dak Prescott. Dak did not finish far behind with 206 yards and a touchdown on 23 of 37 passes, but his two interceptions were costly, and his longest streak in NFL history of 1+ passing TD and 1+ rushing TDin four straight playoff games came to a screeching halt. Tight-end George Kittle proved to be Purdy's favorite target on the evening with five receptions for 95 yards, finishing behind only CeeDee Lamb who caught 10 passes for 117 yards for Dallas. The 49er defense held the Cowboys to only 76 yards rushing, while tallying 113 yards of their own on the ground between Eli Mitchell (14 carries, 51 yards) and Christian McCaffrey (10 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD). Evening the all-time series between these two storied franchises at 19-19-1, Sunday's win marked the Niners' first home win over Dallas since 1997. 

NFC Championship Preview: Having now won 12 straight games, the 49ers will put their winning-streak to the test and try for lucky No. 13 as they prepare to hit the road to face the No. 1 seeded Eagles in Philadelphia with a ticket to the Super Bowl on the line. What will undoubtedly be a showdown between the NFC's top two seeds, the heavyweight match-up will feature the league's best defense in points per game and yards per game (San Francisco) going up against the league's best offense in those same two categories (Philadelphia). But the one match-up that will steal all the headlines is the one between both team's quarterbacks in Brock Purdy and Jalen Hurts. Mr. Irrelevant versus the potential league MVP. And though this will be the first time these two QB's meet to face one another at the pro level, it isn't their first time facing one another on a football field. Purdy will have a chance at redemption after losing in a 42-41 shootout during his days at Iowa State as his Cyclones lost to Hurts and the Oklahoma Sooners back on November 9, 2019. Purdy would throw for 5 touchdowns and rush for another in the wild contest that also saw 5 total TD's from Hurts. Both should be a far cry from what we're likely to see from both quarterbacks on Sunday. 

The media has already begun spinning the narrative for Sunday's game as Brock Purdy the rookie quarterback who is ill-prepared to face a team as daunting as the Eagles in Philadelphia. However, Purdy will enter Sunday's game having already won two career playoff games to Hurts' one. Purdy will also be making history when he steps onto the field at Lincoln Financial as he'll become the first rookie QB to start a Conference Championship game since Mark Sanchez in 2009. With 200 yards passing in both playoff games this season and no turnovers committed, he's the only rookie QB in the Super Bowl era to do that even once in the playoffs. Purdy joined Joe Flacco (2008) and Mark Sanchez (2009) as the only rookie QBs to win two playoff starts. He's looking to become the first to make the Super Bowl after Flacco, Sanchez, Ben Roethlisberger (2004) and Shaun King (1999) all lost in the conference title game. 

The last time these two teams met was Week 2 of the 2021-22 season just a year ago which saw San Francisco edge out a 17-11 win in Philadelphia. Of course a lot of things have changed since then and playoff football is a different type of animal than the second week of the regular season. Opening up as 2-point underdogs on the road, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers will hope to use their Conference Championship experience to their benefit over second-year head coach Nick Siranni who has done a superb job at the helm in Philly, but will be in uncharted waters come Sunday against a hungry 49ers team that doesn't mind proving the doubters wrong. 

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49ers pull off Rout of Rival Seahawks in Wild Card Round

Playoffs - Kicking off Super Wild Card Weekend, the San Francisco 49ers played host to the division rival Seattle Seahawks in the first game of a busy playoff weekend that featured three action-packed days of postseason football. After sweeping the season-series against the Seahawks and clinching the NFC Western Division in Seattle in Week 15, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team went into their first round match-up with plenty of confidence while riding the longest active winning-streak in the NFL with 10 straight wins. But as history has shown, beating any team three times in one season is no easy task. That proved to be true through the first two quarters as Seattle went blow for blow with the Niners in the first half. 

After opening the game on defense and holding Seattle to three and out punts on each of their first two drives, San Francisco got on the board early with a field goal on their opening-drive, followed by a touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to running back Christian McCaffrey. The Niners running back broke for a big gain on a 68-yard run before being awarded a few plays later with an easy touchdown. Dancing around a pair of rushers, Purdy stepped forward and hit a wide-open McCaffrey to his right for the 3-yard score. Refusing to go away early, Seattle answered right back with a long 16-play, 78-yard drive that lasted nearly 7-minutes and ended with a 7-yard touchdown run from rookie running back Kenneth Walker III. The Niners would add to their lead on their next possession with another Robbie Gould field goal, but back came Seattle with another trip to the end zone. After getting the better of Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf in their first two match-ups, 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward was bullied all afternoon long by Metcalf who hauled in a 50-yard touchdown reception to put Seattle ahead, 14-13.

With both teams exchanging punts, the 49ers had thought they would be heading into the locker room with a 16-14 lead after Robbie Gould connected on his third field goal of the first half from 46-yards out with 17-seconds remaining, but a boneheaded play by San Francisco's Jimmie Ward helped gift Seattle an extra 3-points and a 1-point lead at the half. The unnecessary roughness call on Ward for hitting a sliding Geno Smith allowed Seahawks kicker Jason Myers to nail a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Staying alive in the first half by keeping the 49ers at bey in the red zone with only one touchdown in three trips, Seattle's defense was unable to say the same in the second half. Coming out of halftime with a chip on their shoulder, the 49ers' intensity only grew after a dirty play by Seattle defensive-back Johnathan Abram. After a 21-yard reception from receiver Deebo Samuel on the first drive of the second half, Abram made the tackle on Samuel and gave him an extra ankle twist after the play which infuriated both Deebo and his 49er teammates. After a little fisticuffs, the team rallied behind their teammate and punched in the go-ahead score several plays later with quarterback Brock Purdy lunging forward and into the end zone from a yard out. The drive that put the Niners back on top would be their longest scoring-drive of the season at 7-minutes and 45-seconds, spanning 75-yards over 13-plays. 

Seattle appeared to be headed for a score of their own on their ensuing-drive, but their trip inside the red zone would go up in flames after a turnover by the duo of Charles Omenihu and Nick Bosa who got to Geno Smith to force and recovered the fumble. The 49er offense would turn the turnover into points as Brock Purdy hit running back Elijah Mitchell for a 7-yard touchdown and George Kittle on a successful 2-point conversion. San Francisco would get their longest touchdown of the day on their next drive when Purdy hit Deebo Samuel on a 74-yard touchdown. After feeling the frustration following the dirty play, Deebo got the last laugh, tallying 66-yards after the catch on his way to paydirt thanks to a nice block by Brandon Aiyuk. The forced fumble by Geno Smith would open up the floodgates for the 49ers who scored 25 consecutive points. A second turnover would come in the form of a Deommodore Lenoir interception, who jumped in front of a Geno Smith pass for the pick. Following the fourth field goal of the day from Gould to extend the Niners' lead, Seattle did find the end zone again with a garbage time touchdown from Geno Smith to Metcalf, but the game was well over by then as San Francisco walked away with the 41-23 victory. 

With Seattle keeping up through the first 2+ quarters, the two key moments that lit a spark for the 49ers that allowed them to pull away with the 18-point rout was the fumble recovery by Bosa and the dirty play by Seahawks DB Johnathan Abram. Both would take place on consecutive drives and helped breathe life into the 49ers who jumped ahead and never looked back. Making his postseason debut, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy shook off some early jitters and showed that even the big stage of the postseason did not bother him, finishing with 332 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns while rushing for another. Breaking a few records along the way -- Purdy became the youngest QB all-time (23 years, 18 days) with 2+ passing TD's & 1+ rushing TD's in a playoff game. His 4 total touchdowns vs Seattle would be the most in NFL history for a rookie in a playoff game and his 332 passing yards were the most for a 49ers QB in the postseason since Joe Montana's 357 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. Overall, the San Francisco offense tallied 505 total yards, their most in any single game in the last three seasons. Converting 24 first downs and punting only once, the duo of Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel helped the 49er offense shine. McCaffrey recorded 119 yards on 15 carries and also added a receiving touchdown, whereas Deebo logged a playoff career-high of 133 yards on 6 catches a day before his 27th birthday. 

Playoffs Division Round Preview: Continuing their road to Super Bowl LVII, the 49ers will welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Levi's Stadium. In a playoff rematch of last year's NFC Wild Card round where San Francisco pulled off a 23-17 road win in Dallas as a Wild Card team, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers will look to knock off Dak Prescott and company for a second consecutive year, this time as a division-winner. The Cowboys made light work of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 31-14 win on Monday Night Football in the last of six match-ups over the busy Super Wild Card Weekend, but are coming off short rest, whereas the 49ers got their playoff feet wet rather early in the first game played over the weekend on Saturday afternoon. Coach Shanahan will hope to work the extra two day advantage in his team's favor as the San Francisco defense prepares for the challenge that will be provided by a balanced Cowboys offensive attack with weapons both on the ground and thru the air. With San Francisco's offense clicking on all cylinders as well over their NFL-leading 11 consecutive wins, Dallas' defense is not to be taken lightly led by linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons who is likely to be the runner-up to the Niners' Nick Bosa. All things considered, the game will likely go one of two ways: a low-scoring defensive struggle with neither team letting up or an all-around shootout with both offenses going blow for blow in a high-scoring affair. Either way, there will be no shortage of star talent and it should be a good one with a ticket to the NFC Championship on the line to face the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles & New York Giants contest. 

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Seventh Time a Charm for Rams who Knock off 49ers in Bid to Super Bowl

NFC Championship - Facing off on Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line would be two NFC West foes and longtime rivals in the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. Also going toe to toe would be two longtime friends and former colleagues in Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, a pair of head coaches who have both helped turn around their franchises and each with a Super Bowl appearance under their belt. Unfortunately, as much as one would like to see the other succeed, only one would move on to the big game, while the other would be sent home to witness the Super Bowl from afar. With one team's dreams of making it to Super Bowl Sunday coming true, the other would see their hopes slip away. And for the 49er Faithful, the hopes and dreams of their team hoisting that elusive sixth Super Bowl title remained just that -- elusive. 

Heading into the matchup, many believed the winner of the game would be determined by which quarterback would commit the fewest amount of mistakes. And for nearly four full quarters, that QB appeared to be San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo. That was until the 49ers' final drive of the game when disaster struck. But long before an all around collapse by San Francisco and Jimmy G's costly mistake, coach Shanahan appeared to have the upper hand yet again against his old buddy McVay. Having swept the Rams in the regular season for the third consecutive season and seeking their seventh straight victory over L.A., the 49ers were able to keep the Rams' high-powered offense off the scoreboard in the first quarter as the two teams headed into the second quarter scoreless. After both teams exchanged three and out punts to open the game, the Rams marched their way to the red zone before an interception from quarterback Matt Stafford inside the 5-yardline. Getting a hand on a pass intended for L.A.'s Cooper Kupp was San Francisco's K'Waun Williams who's battled ball fell right into the lap of teammate Jimmie Ward who hauled in his third interception of the season, all against Stafford. 

Though they would miss the opportunity on their first trip to the red zone, Stafford would capitalize on their second chance, finding Kupp all alone in the end zone for the easy touchdown to cap off a 97-yard drive, their longest of the season. Answering with a touchdown of their own, the 49ers setup shop within striking distance after a big play along the sideline from Garoppolo to Brandon Aiyuk. Several plays later, the Niners' biggest play-maker this season would show up once again when Deebo Samuel caught a screen-pass and took it 44-yards to the house for the score. When the Rams failed to convert on a go-ahead 54-yard field goal from kicker Matt Gay on their ensuing possession, the 49ers' Robbie Gould showed his counterpart just how its done as the Niners got him within range to bang thru a 38-yarder to give San Francisco a 10-7 lead at the half. Gould would extend his perfect mark in the postseason with another field goal to make him 21-for-21, the most makes without a miss in the Super Bowl era. After the 49ers punted away their first possession of the second half, the Rams turned the ball over on downs when a QB sneak attempt from a yard out went awry. Taking advantage of the stop, the 49ers would add to their lead when Garoppolo hit tight-end George Kittle in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown, the first of Kittle's career in the postseason. 

Entering the fourth quarter trailing by 10, the Rams would answer with a touchdown of their own when Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp in the end zone for a second time. Bringing his team within a field goal, Kupp who won the triple-crown this year among NFL wide-outs, became the first receiver in league history to have three games of 100+ receiving yards against a single opponent in a single season as the 49ers' secondary continued to struggle and failed to find an answer for the 2022 All-Pro. And just when the Rams began to finally show a late surge of offense, San Francisco suddenly couldn't find any of their own as the offense punted on each of their first two possessions of the fourth quarter, and both times, the Rams would add a field goal. But before the field goal that ultimately tied the game at 17-all, the biggest play of the game for San Francisco would be the one that never happened when safety Jaquiski Tartt failed to come up with a gimme interception that would've came up clutch and put San Francisco in prime position to add to their lead late with under 10 minutes remaining. Reminding us all why he's a defensive-back and not a receiver, Tartt fell to the ground in disbelief when he bobbled what should've been an easy pick.

Instead of adding to their lead, the 49ers quickly found themselves trailing by a field goal with just under two minutes remaining after a second field goal from Matt Gay. In desperate need of a score to either tie the game or take the lead, things began to sputter and the offensive-line started shuffling at the worse possible time. Facing a 3rd and 13, pressure would be applied to Garoppolo from Aaron Donald who had been quiet up to that point, forcing the Niners signal-caller to get off an errant shovel pass that tipped off the hands of his target in JaMycal Hasty and into the hands of a Rams defender to seal the game, 20-17, Rams. Sadly for the 49ers, a 10-point fourth quarter lead and a stadium invasion as red-clad Niner fans took over L.A.'s SoFi Stadium yet again, proved to not be enough when it was all said and done. 

In what's likely to be the final game of QB Jimmy Garoppolo's career in San Francisco, the Niners signal-caller finished with 232 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. As for his counterpart, Matthew Stafford threw for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Neither team would do a whole lot on the ground, making way for big games through the air from San Francisco's Deebo Samuel and the Rams' tandem of Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. Finishing with 4 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown, Deebo also added another 26 yards on 7 carries to give him 2,061 scrimmage yards on the year, the most by a WR in a single season in 49ers history (including playoffs), surpassing Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's mark of 2,006 scrimmage yards in 1995. As for L.A.'s dynamic duo, Kupp finished with 11 receptions for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns, becoming only the third Ram ever to haul in 2+ touchdowns in a playoff game. Meanwhile, Beckham had his most productive outing since Week 6 of 2019, catching nine balls for 113 yards to snap a drought of 33 straight games without 100+ receiving yards. 

Another noteworthy performance was that of San Francisco's Nick Bosa. Only three years into his young career and two trips to the playoffs, Bosa tallied another 1.5 sacks on Sunday, passing Hall of Famer Charles Haley (7.5) for the most postseason sacks by a 49ers player since sacks became an official stat in 1982. After missing virtually all of last season after blowing out his knee, Bosa has 0.5+ sacks in each of his six career playoff games, the second longest streak since sacks became official. With a record of 15-6 when leading by 10+ points at any point in the game since 2020 (including playoffs), San Francisco's six losses are the most losses by any team in the NFL in that span. As for the Rams who are 2-23 when trailing by 10+ points in the second half under coach McVay, at least his team knows how to pick them as both wins have come in the NFC Championship game. Adding salt to the wound for Niner fans everywhere, the Rams overcame a fourth quarter deficit of 10+ points to win a game for the first time since Week 1 of the 2013 season (vs Arizona), this after 49 straight losses in such situations. 

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49ers Punch Ticket to Playoffs with Wild Comeback vs Rams

Week 18 - When the NFL committee brought to the table the idea of expanding their regular season schedule from 17 weeks to 18, as well as adding a third Wild Card team to the playoff picture, the owners of course saw the extra dollar signs it would mean for their wallets, but it also meant the likelihood of more theatrics in that 18th and final game. One thing that was certain on Sunday, is that there was no shortage of those theatrics and drama when the day finally came to an end. If there was ever a game that defined the resilience of Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers team (9-7), it was certainly this one. The phrase, "a tale of two halves" gets thrown around a lot in football, but never would that saying be more true than to describe the game that took place in the regular season-finale on Sunday at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium. In front of a packed house that was overrun by Niner fans, a pair of NFC West rivals would face off with plenty on the line. While the Los Angeles Rams (12-4) were seeking a division crown with a win or a loss from the Arizona Cardinals who had their hands full with the Seattle Seahawks, the visiting 49ers were fighting for their playoff lives. 

Entering Sunday's game as the 6th seed in the NFC's playoff picture, the 49ers needed a win against the Rams, or a loss from the New Orleans Saints who were waiting in the shadows facing the Atlanta Falcons. But after the Saints jumped out to an early lead, the Niners knew if they wanted things done, they'd have to do it themselves. And with wins over the Rams in five straight games dating back to 2019, there was no reason to believe these 49ers weren't capable of getting the job done. However, through the game's first two quarters, it didn't seem likely that head coach Kyle Shanahan's 49ers team was going to be playing any football this season beyond Sunday. Things looked gloomy for the Niners even before kickoff as they learned an hour before Sunday's game that they'd be heading into battle shorthanded, ruling out two of their most important players in left-tackle Trent Williams and cornerback K'Waun Williams. Adding insult to injury, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who missed Week 17 with a torn ligament in his thumb, was limited in practice all week, yet still had enough confidence from his head coach to be given the nod to start Sunday's must-win game. 

Much like the 49ers who came out guns blazing in their Week 10 match-up at Levi's Stadium on Monday Night Football, the Rams came out firing on all cylinders to start Sunday's game by jumping out to a 17-0 advantage. With two punts and an interception to show for following San Francisco's first three offensive possessions, the 49ers were in need of any spark they could get before the half. Finally forcing a punt with less than a minute remaining in the first half, the 49er defense was able to get off the field and at least give the offense a chance to get something going when they needed it most. Highlighted by a 26-yard gain from Jimmy G to receiver Brandon Aiyuk, the Niner offense was able to march 61-yards in five plays before setting up kicker Robbie Gould for a field goal to get San Francisco on the board. But even the field goal attempts wouldn't come easy for the 49ers as punter and placeholder Mitch Wishnowsky had to check out of the game early in the second quarter after sustaining a head injury when attempting to make a tackle during one of San Francisco's punts. Luckily, for the Niners, their Pro Bowl fullback and emergency QB Kyle Juszczyk would step up and fill the void.

With an unblemished track record of 45-wins and 0-losses including playoffs when leading at the half under head coach Sean McVay, which happens to be the longest streak of its kind to begin a head coaching career in the Super Bowl era, there was plenty reason to believe the Rams were headed for another victory as they entered the locker room leading, 17-3. But if anybody was going to spoil that streak, it would be McVay's friend and former colleague Kyle Shanahan who has had McVay's number for as long as they've been NFC Western Division rivals. And with San Francisco receiving the ball to open the second half, the field goal they were able to put on the scoreboard just before halftime was all they needed to spark a shift in momentum. Opening the second half with the same confidence they closed out the first with, Garoppolo again connected on a big play to Brandon Aiyuk for a 31-yard gain. Several plays later, the 49ers would call on their Swiss Army Knife in Deebo Samuel who took a handoff 16-yards to the house for their first touchdown of the afternoon. Cutting into L.A.'s lead, the 49ers suddenly found themselves right back in the game after forcing the Rams to punt on their ensuing possession. 

After rushing for a touchdown on their previous drive, Deebo Samuel would again be front and center for the 49er offense, this time taking a handoff to the right and launching a pass into the end zone to a wide-open Jauan Jennings. With the game now tied, the 49ers would intercept Stafford on the Rams' ensuing possession, but would be forced to punt the ball with Robbie Gould thrusted into the punter position for the first time since 2007. After forcing a punt of their own, the San Francisco offense would knock on the door of taking their first lead of the ballgame as they marched inside the Rams' 20 yard line, but an errant pass into traffic from Garoppolo to tight-end George Kittle would result in the second pick of the day from the 49ers QB, as L.A.'s Jalen Ramsey made a juggling catch in the end zone. Knowing just what to do with it, L.A. quarterback Matthew Stafford fed his star receiver Cooper Kupp with a number of plays, including a 30-yard pass on third and six and a 4-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone to put the Rams back on top. With both teams exchanging punts, the 49ers would get the ball back with 1:27 remaining in the 4th quarter. Running the two-minute offense to perfection, Garoppolo would hit Aiyuk and Samuel for big gains with receptions of 21 and 43 yards, respectively. And with 31-seconds remaining, Garoppolo would find a wide-open Jennings cutting in the middle of the field for the game-tying touchdown from 14-yards out to send the game into overtime. 

Winning the coin-toss and electing to receive the ball, the 49er offense embarked on a 14-play, 79-yard drive, but was forced to settle for another field goal after making it inside L.A.'s 10-yard line before sputtering with three straight plays of 1-yard or fewer. Taking their first lead of the game in overtime, all eyes would be on the San Francisco defense who were in need of a turnover to punch their ticket to the playoffs after the Saints marched to a 30-20 victory over Atlanta. Not only would the Niners get their turnover, but they'd get it from one of the most unlikeliest of heroes as rookie corner Ambry Thomas who has struggled in his young career and has been on the giving end of many touchdown receptions, including the second touchdown reception of the day from Rams tight-end Tyler Higbee. But when they needed it most, Thomas came down with the game-sealing play when he intercepted a deep pass intended for Odell Beckham Jr., the first of his career, to punch San Francisco's ticket to the postseason. Winning by a final score of 27-24, San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo, thumb-splint and all, won his sixth straight game against the Rams, the third-longest streak of QB wins versus the Rams since the 1970 merger, throwing for 316 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in the win. 

49ers running back Elijah Mitchell led all backs with 85 yards on 21 carries, as Deebo Samuel followed with 45 yards and a touchdown on eight rush attempts. Hauling in four receptions for another 95 yards receiving, Deebo also threw for 24 yards and a touchdown in his only pass attempt. Sunday would mark the best game of the season receiving-wise from wide-outs Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings who each caught six balls for 107 and 94 yards, respectively, with Jennings hauling in a pair of touchdown receptions. L.A.'s Cooper Kupp continued his record-setting season by catching passes for 118 yards receiving and a touchdown from QB Matthew Stafford who threw for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, on his way to surpassing Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner (4,830 in 2001) for the most passing yards in a season by a Ram, albeit with an extra game added to the NFL's regular season schedule. Stafford also tied Warner's (1999) record for the most passing TD's in a season in Rams history with 31. Despite the loss, the Rams still managed to win the division as Arizona failed to win at home against the Seahawks. The Rams who have now dropped six straight against the Niners since 2019, are 31-12 vs all other opponents during that span. 

Wild Card Preview: Entering the Playoffs as the sixth seed, the 49ers will hit the road to face the No. 3 seeded Dallas Cowboys (12-5), winners of the NFC East. Spearheaded by quarterback and NFL Comeback Player of the Year candidate Dak Prescott, the Cowboys are just as dangerous on defense as they are on offense. Leading the league in both takeaways (34) and interceptions (26), Dallas is a team the Niners will need a clean game against if they plan to pull off the upset, and can ill-afford another multi-turnover game from Jimmy Garoppolo. San Francisco will also need to limit any extra-chances they give Dallas' offense which also ranked first in the NFL in total yards and scoring. Having put up 50+ points in two of their last three games, the Cowboys are not a team Kyle Shanahan will want his offense going blow for blow against as Dallas has as much fire power as anybody in all of football. Hoping to have Pro Bowl left-tackle Trent Williams back from his elbow injury in time from the game, the 49ers open as 3-point underdogs and will try to pull off the upset at Dallas' AT&T Stadium with a start time of 4:30pm ET. In his 11th NFL season, Williams who has faced the Cowboys many times dating back to his days in the division with the Washington Redskins, Williams has never been on a playoff-winning team. Coach Shanahan hopes to put an end to that streak this weekend for one of his best players. 

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49ers to Host NFC Championship after Handling Vikings

NFC Divisional - Hosting their first ever playoff game in the six-year history of Levi's Stadium, the NFC's no. 1 seeded San Francisco 49ers put on a show and pulled off the win in dominant fashion in their first home playoff game since 2012. Facing off against the No. 6 seeded Minnesota Vikings who were coming off an upset win on the road against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, the dominant 49er defense proved to be too much for Minnesota's offense on Saturday. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was held in check virtually all afternoon long by a well rested San Francisco defense that received a week off thanks to the first-round BYE that saw the return of several key players. Having not won consecutive playoff games since 1987 when a No. 5 seeded Vikings team knocked off the No. 1 seeded 49ers on their way to an NFC Championship appearance, Kyle Shanahan made sure his team would not suffer a similar fate or be the ones that Minnesota ended that skid against.

Coming into the game, all the talk revolved around whether or not 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo could be trusted in what would be his first career start in the playoffs. As if Cousins who was coming off his first win in the postseason in two career starts, had some over the top advantage over his counterpart. And after a three and out forced by the San Francisco defense, Garoppolo would waste little time to prove that his postseason experience or lack thereof would be a non-factor as he completed 5-of-6 passes while hitting four different receivers during their opening-drive that ended in a touchdown pass to his favorite red zone target in Kendrick Boune. The Vikings would answer quickly with a touchdown of their own when 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon who has struggled mightily in the second half of the season, continued to have issues in coverage as he was beaten badly on two plays and penalized for pass-interference on another. But none worse than the 41-yard touchdown he surrendered on a pass to Stefon Diggs as Witherspoon fell to the ground, allowing his man to walk into the end zone for the easy score. With the game tied at 7-7 and Witherspoon clearly a liability in coverage, Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh made the decision to bench Witherspoon the rest of the game in favor of his backup Emmanuel Moseley.

Both teams would exchange punts before San Francisco made a second trip to the end zone on a touchdown by running back Tevin Coleman. Setup by a pair of big plays by Deebo Samuel, Coleman sprung forward for the go-ahead touchdown. Looking to add to their lead following another Vikings three and out, Garoppolo's lone mistake on the afternoon would come in the form of an interception as he was picked off by Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks. Taking over in the red zone, Cousins and company would again fail to get much of anything going and were forced to settle for a field goal. Hanging onto a 14-10 lead at the half, the 49ers would turn things up on defense and pitch a shutout in the second half. Opening the third quarter with the first of two Robbie Gould field goals on the afternoon, San Francisco's Richard Sherman would come up with his third career postseason interception on third and long when he stepped in front of a Kirk Cousins pass intended for Vikings receiver Adam Thielen. Hoping to shake off his first career playoff interception, Cousins would fail to find an answer for San Francisco's defense the rest of the way as three of their next four possessions would end in three and out punts and the other two ending on turnover on downs.

Dialing up eight consecutive run plays on offense following the Sherman interception, Tevin Coleman would find the end zone again to become the first 49er with two rushing touchdowns in a playoff game since Frank Gore in 2013. With one last field goal at the start of the fourth quarter to increase their lead to 17-points, the 49er defense would do the rest as a sack party would ensue. Niner defensive-end Dee Ford who might've benefited most from the BYE week and returned to the field after missing five of the last six games due to a hamstring injury, was one of five players to record a sack, with rookie sensation Nick Bosa leading the way with two quarterback sacks on the day. Having already been named to the Pro Bowl and the odds on favorite to win this year's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, Bosa becomes the first 49ers rookie to tally two sacks in a playoff game since Dana Stubblefield in 1993. Helping his team set a franchise playoff-best with only 147 total yards allowed, the 49er defense smothered their way to a 27-10 victory and held Vikings running back Dalvin Cook to only 18 yards rushing on nine carries. Meanwhile, Niners running back Tevin Coleman rushed for 105 yards on 22 attempts. Completing 21 of 29 pass attempts, Cousins threw for 172 yards compared to Garoppolo's 131, but threw the ball ten more times and needed ten more completions than his counterpart. While it was a rather pedestrian performance in the passing game for Garoppolo, the dominant defense and efficient rushing attack was plentiful to secure the win over Minnesota which gave the 49ers five wins in six playoff meetings against the Vikings, all of which in the Divisional-round which sets a record for the most wins vs a team in one playoff round.

NFC Championship Preview - The San Francisco 49ers will be making their first trip to the NFC Championship since 2013 when the team made it to three consecutive NFC title games under head coach Jim Harbaugh and their first time hosting since 2012. Standing in between the 49ers and a trip to Miami is Aaron Rodgers and the No.2 seed Green Bay Packers. After serving up a 37-8 beating on Sunday Night Football back in Week 12 which saw one of the worst games statistically of Rodgers' career, Shanahan and the 49ers know that what happened in the Week 12 blowout victory means little to nothing heading into this one, with the exception of what they know they need to do in order to punch their ticket to Super Bowl XLIV. Having grown up a huge 49er fan in nearby Chico, California, the future Hall of Fame quarterback Rodgers is not to be taken lightly and has his sights on revenge for both the earlier meeting this season and the two Divisional-round losses the 49ers have served him in the past. Since their Week 12 loss to San Francisco, the Packers, who like the Niners finished the regular season 13-3, have not lost a game. One way the 49er defense can change that is by duplicating what they did in the previous match-up when they held Rodgers in check on third down (0-for-10) and prevented him from completing a single pass beyond 10-yards. Despite escaping with a few close wins, Green Bay has been rolling ever since their last trip to Levi's and will be seeking, "redemption" as Packers head coach Matt LaFleur described it during his post-game speech in the team locker room following their close 28-23 win at Lambeau over the Seattle Seahawks.

Spread - According to Las Vegas sportsbooks and odds makers, San Francisco opens as 7-point favorites with the over/under at 45.


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Peyton Manning's cloudy Future

Uncertainty in the air - Since the start of the Peyton Manning era in Denver some three seasons ago, the Denver Broncos have done nothing but break records and win games during the regular season. Their success in the postseason, however, not so much. Then again, that's the one knock on one of the game's all-time great signal callers. With just the one Super Bowl victory under his belt, Manning has had the pieces in place during his time with Denver to change that. But a disappointing loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in his first year with the Broncos in 2012 followed by a 35-point shellacking to the Seattle Seahawks in last year's Super Bowl, has deprived him of that second Lombardi Trophy that he has tried so hard to capture. 

And then there was Sunday's loss at the hands of Peyton's former team -- the Indianapolis Colts, the most recent disappointing postseason finish which has many pondering; could we have seen the last of No.18? While there's no denying Manning still possesses the skill set to play in this league despite his age, would he be willing to take on another trying offseason of training, mental preparation and everything in between? When being asked about his future following yesterday's 24-13 loss which eliminated Denver from the playoffs, the 5-time MVP was noncommittal in his answer while leaving us on the edge of our seats. Clouding Manning's future even more so is the news of Broncos head coach John Fox mutually agreeing to step down from his position with the team. Under Fox who signed a contract extension during the offseason, the Broncos have won AFC Western Division titles in each of his first four years with the team. Fox coached the team to an impressive record of 46-18 during the regular season, but it was his 2-3 record during the playoffs coupled with philosophical differences from those of Broncos GM John Elway which led to the two sides parting ways.

With Fox out the door and offensive coordinator Adam Gase likely to follow with offers of a possible head coaching position if he doesn't receive one from Elway himself, the likelihood of Manning deciding to call it quits would most certainly improve assuming Peyton would oppose the idea of welcoming a new offensive system. And with the relationship between Manning and Gase being a close one, who Elway and company decide to go with to fill their head coaching vacancy could be the deciding factor in whether or not the soon to be 39-year old Manning returns. Not to mention the many play-makers on offense that are set to hit the free-agency market including Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker to name a few. Though it's been reported that Manning played Sunday's game with a torn quadriceps muscle, it would be hard to blame the loss on that alone given Indianapolis admitted to stealing a page from Seattle's book by taking away the middle of the field and forcing Manning to try his hand at the deep passes along the sideline that he just wasn't able to make like he so often has in the past.


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Super Bowl XLVIII Preview

With less than a week before Super Bowl Sunday, the table is now set for the big game. And what a game it should be between the league's number one scoring offense versus the league's number one scoring defense. Not only do we have a pair of number one seed's going toe to toe with one another but also a variety of intriguing story lines that leading up to the game appear to almost be bigger than the game itself. But first, allow me to introduce each team. First up we have the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks who narrowly escaped with a 23-17 win over division rival San Francisco in the NFC title game and finished the regular season with a 13-3 record under Pete Carroll. And then there's the AFC Champion Denver Broncos who also finished the regular season at 13-3 under John Fox before knocking off the New England Patriots, 26-16 for the AFC title.

With Seattle seeking their first ever Super Bowl win, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has other plans and has his eyes set on crashing the party and adding a second Super Bowl title to an already decorated resume that includes just about everything. If there's any argument deterring Peyton Manning from the greatest quarterback of all-time discussion, it's the fact that he's only been able to hoist one Lombardi Trophy throughout his career. Something he hopes to change come Sunday. Despite his greatness and the number of achievements, Manning has been standing in the shadow cast by the handful of quarterbacks who have won multiple championships, his brother Eli being one of them. Having set numerous records this season at the helm of the Broncos including most single-season touchdowns (55) and passing yards (5,477), Peyton will in fact set another record when he's awarded his fifth MVP Award at the conclusion of the NFL season, a record he set in 2009. In what's being regarded as the best season by a quarterback in NFL history will mean far less to him if he's unable to put the final cherry on top -- a second Super Bowl title.

As rumors start to swirl of this possibly being Manning's last game due to the ongoing neck problems he's been having, this game could very well determine the legacy of one Peyton Manning. And what better way to go out than on top like his boss -- John Elway who 15 years ago retired after winning back to back Super Bowl titles with the same Broncos franchise. The only difference is Peyton would become the first QB in NFL history to win Super Bowl titles with two different clubs. And with the game being played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, the home shared by the New York Giants and Jets, who better to receive a few helpful hints than from Peyton's younger brother Eli who knows a thing or two about playing quarterback in the stadium playing host to the Super Bowl. One thing Eli won't be able to help his big brother prepare for, however, is Seattle's stout defense. With Peyton yet to be sacked this postseason, the Broncos offensive line will face their toughest task yet come Sunday.

If Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense is story line 1.A, then Richard Sherman and the Seahawks defense is definitely story line 1.B. Boasting the league's best turnover ratio as well as the best trash talker in Sherman, Seattle's defense looks to prevent Peyton from adding a second Super Bowl ring to that crowded trophy case of his. Better known as the "Legion of Boom," Seattle's swarming secondary will gladly welcome the challenge presented by Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense. After all, they do say defense is what wins championships. But that's not to say Sherman and company won't have their hands full as Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas all figure to create some trouble in the passing game. Aside from defense, something else that favors the Seahawks despite having no Super Bowl appearance on their entire roster, is history. Though Denver averaged an NFL record 37.9 points per game and became the first team to ever score more than 600 points in a season, all eight of the highest-scoring teams in NFL history have failed to win the Super Bowl. 

But regardless of Seattle's stout defense, they have no chance of winning if they can't put points up on the board which brings us to Peyton's counterpart, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson who on Sunday will become just the sixth second-year QB to start a Super Bowl. Unlike Manning, Wilson serves as a duel-threat quarterback who is just as dangerous with his feet as he is with his arm. His recent transformation into becoming one of the more conservative QB's in the league over the second half of the season and even more so in the last few games, however, is a bit of a cause for concern given it'll prevent him from being able to answer Peyton blow for blow on offense if say a shootout where to break out. We've all heard how the cold, moist weather will favor the defense which once again leans toward Seattle, but Manning who won his only Super Bowl title in the rain, won't have to deal with the elements any more or any less than Wilson will. Not to mention Wilson won't have the support of the 12th Man to rely on granted Sunday will mark the first game away from Seattle in over a month and a half for the Seahawks (December 15).

What I think will be even more important than Seattle's defense on Sunday though is their offense. The key to the game for the Seahawks will be keeping Peyton off the field and what better way to succeed in doing that than with extended drives of their own by utilizing their most dangerous weapon on offense in running back Marshawn Lynch who I think will be the x-factor in Sunday's game. If Denver's defense which seems to be forgotten about in all of this can shutdown Lynch or at least contain him by keeping him away from his bag of Skittles and make him vanish like he did on media day, they can make it difficult for Seattle's offense, forcing Wilson to carry the load and get it done through the air which is more of a last resort for them. Without arguably their best defensive player in Von Miller, Denver held a Patriots rush attack to 64 total yards in the AFC Championship after LaGarrette Blount exploded for 166 yards alone in New England's previous game. With Lynch being the x-factor, Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno could very well be the dark horse given so much attention will be drawn toward Peyton and the passing game that Denver could be the ones in store for a big game on the ground. 

Prediction: After experiencing defeat in his last attempt at a Super Bowl title in 2009 while with the Indianapolis Colts, I don't see anything getting in the way of Peyton adding another piece of hardware to his resume this time around. With everything from the number of records set on offense to John Fox coaching his team to a Super Bowl after undergoing heart surgery earlier in the season and Peyton in position to finalize his legacy, the Denver Broncos just seem like a team of destiny at this point. Not to mention the weather forecast for Sunday that was first thought to spell doom for Peyton and the passing game has only gotten better over the last week or so. And whether or not it'll be the last time we see no.18 on a playing field, expect to see him at the podium hosting the Lombardi Trophy as Denver kisses the ghost of John Elway goodbye and proves to be too much for the Seahawks on neutral ground, 31-20.


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