The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the NFL 2023 NFC Championship, punching their ticket to Super Bowl LVII, setting up another date at the big dance with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 49ers dug themselves out of a 17-point hole, scoring 27 consecutive second-half points to give themselves the win, claiming the franchise's eighth NFC Championship, tied for the second most in league history.
NFC Championship: The Detroit Lions
It was a valiant effort for the Lions, who in their second Conference Championship game in franchise history, controlled most of the matchup on both sides of the ball; coming up with a 24-7 lead at halftime.
Jameson Williams scored the first points for the Lions early in the first quarter. The good times would continue for Detroit as the Lions would score again after a failed field goal attempt by the 49ers, going up 14-0 in the first quarter thanks to a 1-yard David Montgomery touchdown run.
The 49ers' only first-half points would come from a 28-yard catch and run that involved a disrespectful stiff arm to C.J. Gardner-Johnson, followed by running back Christian McCaffrey's first of two touchdown runs of the night.
A Brock Purdy interception in the first half would lead to more Lions points as running back Jahmyr Gibbs would find the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown run to take the lead 21-7.
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NFC Championship: 49ers Second Half Rally
Down 24-7 to the Lions, the San Francisco 49ers would snatch victory from the hands of Detroit by embarking on a big-time comeback in the third quarter thanks to a miraculous catch and a six-yard touchdown from Brock Purdy to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
A Gibbs fumble and recovery from Arik Armstead would lead to more 49ers points, ending with another Christian McCaffrey score.
The Niners would get their first lead in the fourth quarter from a 33-yard field goal by rookie kicker Jake Moody. They would later then take a ten-point lead following a Brock Purdy-led drive that ended with a touchdown from Elijah Mitchell.
With the game on the line, quarterback Jared Goff gave the Lions one final touchdown drive. However, it was a little too late as the Niners would seal the game by recovering the following onside kick attempt by Detroit.
NFC Championship: Chiefs and 49ers One Again
The Kansas City Chiefs and the 49ers would meet again in two weeks in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV.
Their previous matchup saw the Chiefs comeback and win 31-20 against the San Francisco 49ers, with Mahomes hoisting up his first Super Bowl victory.
This time, the 49ers would look to young quarterback Brock Purdy to lead them to the promised land.
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