The San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions faced off in the NFC Championship Game. Ultimately, the 49ers came out on top, winning 34-31 and securing a ticket to the Super Bowl. They will face the Kansas City Chiefs in the big game, a rematch of Super Bowl LIV.
However, the win wasn’t easy for the 49ers; it took an improbable comeback. How did the 49ers get it done to secure their ticket to Las Vegas?
49ers’ Improbable Comeback Secures Super Bowl Berth
The game started off strong for Detroit, with the Lions scoring on each of their first two drives to stake them to a quick 14-0 lead. In addition to the Lions’ offense’s success, the 49ers also saw kicker Jake Moody miss a field goal to keep them further behind.
The 49ers finally recorded their first score of the game on a two-yard touchdown run by Christian McCaffrey to start the second quarter.
Those would end up being their only points of the first half. The Lions would add on 10 more points before halftime to take a 24-7 lead into intermission.
The second half was an entirely different story, though. Both teams had three drives in the third quarter, with the 49ers scoring on all three and the Lions having two fourth-down conversions fail. The two teams went into the fourth quarter tied 24-24.
One of the big plays that thrust the 49ers into a position to come back was made by Brandon Aiyuk.
With 6:29 left in the third quarter, Aiyuk bounced off a defender and caught a pass for 51 yards, putting the 49ers all the way down at Detroit’s 4-yard line. “Before the game, a ladybug landed on my shoe,” said Aiyuk after the game.
AIYUK UNBELIEVABLE!
📺: #DETvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/gm8L5xwa9D— NFL (@NFL) January 29, 2024
The fourth quarter was more of the same. The 49ers scored 10 more points, giving them a 34-24 lead and 27 unanswered points. The Lions did score a touchdown with 56 seconds left, but they were unable to recover an onside kick that would have given them one more chance to win the game. “They had us in the first half, not gonna lie,” said tight end George Kittle.
The comeback for the 49ers was tied for the second-largest comeback in conference championship history. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the largest conference championship comeback wins were the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals (-18), 2006 Indianapolis Colts (-18) and 2012 San Francisco 49ers (-17).
MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket
A big reason for the 49ers’ second-half surge was the play of quarterback Brock Purdy. Despite a lackluster first half, including an interception, Purdy finished the game going 20 of 31 for 267 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also had 51 rushing yards, which all came in the second half.
“It’s a team sport,” said Purdy when asked about the comeback and his part in it. “We knew we had a half left.” Purdy will officially be the third-youngest quarterback to ever start in the Super Bowl when the game kicks off in two weeks.
For 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, he’s changed the narrative. Prior to the 2023 postseason, Shanahan-led teams were a combined 1-28 in games where the team was trailing by 14 or more points. However, they’ve completed two comeback victories in a row following their wins over the Lions and the Green Bay Packers.
“There’s been unfinished business for a while,” said Shanahan. “Our team’s been set out for this for a while.”
The 49ers will now have a two-week break before they face the Chiefs in Las Vegas. The Super Bowl will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 11. Fans will be able to watch the game on CBS with Jim Nantz and Tony Romo on the call.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!
