Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for defeating the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship and moving on to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas! Who will you be playing, KC? Oh, we are going to get into that NFC Championship game now! I like to refer to this championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the visiting Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium as a Tale of Two Halves. One half was ugly AF, while the 2nd half was history-making in how it all played out. First half: On the opening drive, it only took the Lions four plays to score their first touchdown, on a Jameson Williams 42 yard run. This was a sign of just how badly the first half was going to be for the 49ers defense.
With running back David Montgomery running up the middle like a bull, and running back Jyhmer Gibbs running on the sidelines like a cheetah, both Detroit running backs scored touchdowns. Detroit added a late second-quarter field goal on 4th and 3 (this decision is of much discussion amongst Lions fans and the pundits), and Detroit was up 24-7 at halftime. It was quite obvious the 49ers did NOT read my keys to the game notes in my previous post, because all of them were ignored! Quarterback Brock Purdy wasn't given enough time to run thru his progression options, threw an interception that led to a Detroit touchdown and the Lions offensive line stuffed running back Christian McCaffrey/CMC for just 26 yards, Jake Moody missed a field goal, and Detroit and quarterback Jared Goff and the running backs just HAD THEIR WAY with the 49er defense, with 148 yards and three TD's in the first half.
It was at this time my viewing partner and I decided to hit the hooch (that's a speak-easy term for booze) and finish our pizza before it got any colder than the 49ers defense! I was dropping F grades and bombs everywhere, and trying to figure out who would be replacing defensive coordinator Steve Wilks- cuz it was a BAD first half for him and his unit! Then a (scheduled) funny thing happened during the half-time show. It wasn't shown on the game telecast, but the fans at Levi's Stadium were treated to a mini-Journey concert, closing with "Don't Stop Believing", which jazzed the fans in attendance UP! Could it be? Could they? Is the hooch playing mind games with me?
Second half: Although all post-game interviews didn't reveal any big one thing/adjustment, this was NOT the same team that took the field to start the third quarter! The 49ers and Purdy drove 50 yards and settled for a Moody 43-yard field goal. Purdy was humming and CMC and the O-line found holes in the Detroits defense, with CMC racking up 60 rushing yards in the second half and had two touchdowns for the game. Purdy also thrilled the fans by running the ball five times for 48 yards to snag three very important first downs. The most shocking thing though was the complete 180 Wilks and the Niners defense did, stopping the Lions on two 4th down plays, causing a fumble that led to a 49ers touchdown, holding Detroit to just one touchdown very late in the game, while San Francisco set a record for most points (27) in a comeback win in a NFC Championship game. Another key stat: Teams who won a NFC Championship game who were down by 17+ points at halftime, 2-21 (previous record 1-21). The game was described as "an epic comeback" (yes), a "shocker"(yes), and a "thriller" (Only if you have a strong heart and stomach and can maintain base-level blood pressure!) Hats off to the Detroit Lions, who played a heck of a game, and have had a great season. We will be seeing more of this team in future playoffs.
Here are some snaps from that amazing 2nd half- Apparently the 49er's team didn't stop believing and rewarded the 49er Faithful!
The video of the insane "Immaculate Reception" catch Brandon Aiyuk made, which turned the game around big-time:
Kyle Juszczyk ( a Scrabble game winner if I ever seen one!) tippy-toe catch on the sideline for a first down:
Photo Credit: Television screenshot.
Jauan Jennings one-handed catch for a first down (and Purdy getting nailed as he threw this ball!) :
Photo Credit: APNews/ Mark J Terrill
And the look on Brock Purdy's face says it all after he got his hands on the NFC Championship trophy:
Photo Credit: APNews/David J. Phillip
A couple of stray notes: Super Bowl LVIII will be the first Super Bowl for Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey after all the years of playing in the NFL! Let's get them some Super Bowl bling, along with the rest of the team! And I just HAD to add this post-victory snippet! Do not doubt the power of the ladybug!
What did you think? How did you survive the first half? Has Purdy upped his run game from a "scamper" (George Kittle's word), to a running QB when needed? And do YOU believe in the power of the ladybug? Comment below! :)
ความคิดเห็น