49ers Clinch Super Bowl Berth With Improbable NFC Title Game Comeback
By Jason Hall
January 29, 2024
The San Francisco 49ers clinched a Super Bowl berth with an improbable 34-31 win against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday (January 28).
The Niners rallied back from a 24-7 halftime deficit by outscoring the Lions, 27-10 in the second half, which included 17 consecutive points in the third quarter. Running back Christian McCaffrey recorded 132 all-purpose yards (90 rushing, 42 receiving) and two touchdowns, including a game-tying one-yard run with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter.
Quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 267 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 20 of 31 passing, while also recording 48 yards on five rushing attempts.
The Niners will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, which will be a rematch of San Francisco's last Super Bowl appearance in 2020. The Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 17-10, in the AFC Championship Game hours earlier.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 241 yards and one touchdown on 30 of 39 passing. Tight end Travis Kelce recorded 11 receptions for 116 yards, which included the 19-yard touchdown from Mahomes on the Chiefs' opening drive.
Running back Isiah Pacheco provided Kansas City's second touchdown on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
The Niners would tie the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins among NFL franchises with a victory in Super Bowl LVIII.