The Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers faced off in the NFC Championship Game for a chance to earn a trip to Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58. Ultimately, the 49ers came out on top, 34-31.
However, the win didn’t come easily. The 49ers had to come back from down 17 points to earn their Super Bowl birth. During the Lions’ first-half domination, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was seen waving goodbye to 49ers fans. What happened?
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Goes Viral for Waving Goodbye to Fans During Big Lead
The game started strong for the Lions, scoring on their first two possessions. In addition to their offense playing at a high level, 49ers kicker Jake Moody missed a 48-yard field goal, giving the Lions a 14-0 lead at the end of the first half.
Their dominance continued in the second quarter. The 49ers responded quickly, scoring a two-yard touchdown from Christian McCaffery to open the quarter. However, those would be the only points of the half for San Francisco. Purdy threw an interception to linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and the Lions added 10 more points, leading 24-7 at halftime.
When Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored a 15-yard rushing touchdown, Gardner-Johnson was seen waving toward the crowd. The Lions forced a three-and-out and added a field goal before halftime.
CJ Gardner-Johnson waving goodbye to 49er fans in the 2nd quarter! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/FrWjTNbrMZ
— ★★★★★ (@TSV__1) January 29, 2024
However, Gardner-Johnson’s actions backfired. The 49ers came out of the second half firing, scoring on all three of their drives in the third quarter. The Lions, on the other hand, scored zero points in the third quarter.
The 49ers scored 27 unanswered points, giving them a 34-24 lead deep into the fourth quarter. The Lions did respond late with a touchdown but were unable to recover an onside kick, ending the game.
“Waving right to Cancun,” one NFL fan said on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Wanted the Lions to win, but the way he’s carried on this last few weeks, he absolutely deserved that humbling,” another fan on X posted.
Gardner-Johnson finished the game with four total tackles. In 2023 as a whole, he only played in three games due to a torn pectoral injury he suffered in Week 2. He did, however, record two interceptions, one against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 and another against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round.
Coming into the matchup, Gardner-Johnson and 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel had been talking back and forth. “Don’t be friendly when you see me. … You can’t run routes, you’re a running back,” Gardner-Johnson told Samuel. “He’s mad I got a little bag and a lot of money, and no one knows who he is,” responded Samuel.
Following the comeback victory, the 49ers players did not hold back on Gardner-Johnson. “He was doing all that talking about Deebo; Deebo stiff-armed the s**t out of his a**,” Deommodore Lenoir said on Instagram Live following the game. “All that damn talking, weak a** boy.”
Hours after the game, the trash talking continued, with Samuel commenting on the clip of Gardner-Johnson waving goodbye to the 49ers crowd.
Somebody go check on lil bruh😂😂 https://t.co/8UgIk3iFkG
— Deebo (@19problemz) January 29, 2024
The 49ers will now face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. The matchup will be a rematch of Super Bowl 54, when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers 31-20. The game 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!
