Saturday’s much-anticipated Divisional Playoff game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara ended with the San Francisco 49ers securing a spot in the NFC championship game.
The 49ers were favored to win by 10 points, however, they left with a 24-21 win against the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers took the lead in the first quarter with a 29-yard field goal from kicker Anders Carlson. The 49ers responded with an 86-yard drive that led to a 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle. Kittle caught a touchdown pass on a 3rd-and-5 from the Packers 32-yard line, putting the Niners up 7-3.
Following the 49ers touchdown, the Packers narrowed the score to 7-6 with a 29-yard field goal from Carlson to conclude a 10-play, 64-yard drive.
Heading into half, 49ers kicker Jake Moody took a 48-yard attempt, however, defensive lineman Colby Wooden deflected it. Throughout the first half, the Packers held possession for a greater amount of the game with 16:55 in comparison to the 49ers 13:05. The Packers also had ten first downs, in comparison to the 49er’s nine.
To start the second half, the Packers put points on the board first with a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a 19-yard touchdown; Jordan Love and Bo Melton joined forces to give the Packers a 13-7 lead. The 49ers came back with a 75-yard scoring drive. From their 29-yard line, quarterback Brock Purdy hit Kittle for a first down, and Kittle made his way to the Packers 39-yard line. Then running back Christian McCaffrey scored from 39 yards out, bringing the score to 14-13, with the 49ers leading.
With five minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Packers went up 21-14 after a touchdown from Tucker Kraft and a pass from Love to Aaron Jones for a two-point conversion.
After gaining possession at the Packer’s 48-yard line, Moody nailed a 52-yard field goal to bring the score to 21-17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Packers were unable to secure any more points after Carlson missed from 41 yards out after advancing to the 23-yard line. The 49ers then took the following five minutes for a 12-play 69-yard drive, finishing with a six-yard run from McCaffrey to secure a 3-point lead, 24-21. This left a little over a minute for the Packers to respond – however, they were unable to make a comeback in the final seconds.
This game had fans’ hearts racing, each side willing their team to win. Their rivalry came to an end with the 49ers securing the win. Both teams played to the best of their ability, showcasing their talent and hard work.
