In the divisional round of 1957, Ya.A. Tittle and the San Francisco 49ers built a 24-7 halftime lead, propelling the Detroit Lions to the NFL Championship.66 years later, the Lions rallied from a 24-7 deficit to overcome Brock Purdy and the 49ers 34-31 to advance to the Super Bowl with the largest deficit in an NFC championship game.
The up-and-coming Lions did their best to be first in the NFC, but it wasn’t enough for the playoff-challenged 49ers. With Detroit in the first NFC Championship Game of the Super Bowl era, the 49ers used their recent playoff experience to pack a punch. San Francisco advanced to its second Super Bowl appearance under Kyle Shanahan, outscoring Detroit 27-7 in the second half.Here are the winners and losers from the 49ers’ comeback victory.Winner: Mobile QB Brock PurdyThe second-ranked Lions’ three worst games this season were against the top-ranked (Baltimore) and second-ranked (Chicago) teams, where they allowed a combined 471 yards rushing. What these two offenses have in common is that Mobile quarterbacks Justin Fields and Lamar Jackson have combined for 48 percent of their rushing yards in three games against Detroit. When the Lions faced a third down against the 49ers, they didn’t have to worry about Brock Purdy kicking them. That was before Brock Purdy hit the Lions defense.Purdy rushed for a career-high 58 yards on five attempts, but his big runs weren’t just about the yards, but the situations they were in. After the defense forced seven third-quarter punts, the 49ers faced a second-and-11 near the red zone boundary. Purdy got into the pocket and ran 21 yards on the play before Christian McCaffrey’s touchdown.On the next drive, with the game still tied, the offense countered with a short second down, Purdy driving back and up for a 10-and-1 deficit. Jake Moody hit a 33-yard field goal three plays later to give San Francisco its first lead of the fourth quarter.Purdy’s biggest battle came on 3rd and 4 when the 49ers took a three-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Aidan Hutchinson pushed Colton Mackiewicz, giving Purdy plenty of room to handle. With an unexpected burst of speed, Purdy escaped Alex Anzalone’s hands and sprinted 21 yards for a first down. Elijah Mitchell hit a tying field goal two plays later.The Lions defense knew they had to focus on McCaffrey, who impressed with 90 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Purdy’s performance put the 49ers’ running game over the top. Defeated: 49ers on defense.The 49ers allowed 182 rushing yards, the second most in a game this season, at 6.3 yards per attempt.Detroit started the game with some big winners. David Montgomery converted Detroit’s offense at midfield with the game’s second run of 15 yards.Two plays later, Jameson Williams opened the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown run Saturday as the 49ers’ defense stepped up. Jahmir Gibbs and Montgomery combined for 25 rushing yards on five carries on the next drive, with Montgomery going 2-for-2 to put Detroit up 14 in the first quarter.Later, Gibbs put Detroit up 21-7 when he threw a ball to the left and missed Tashaun Gipson for a 15-yard gain. Of Detroit’s 182 yards, 148 came in the first half. This means the 49ers defense settled down in the second half (more on that later). However, San Francisco’s front has struggled somewhat against the Lions’ backfield duo, which has seen them allow over 100 rushing yards in five of their last six games.
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