The Detroit Lions looked to advance to the Super Bowl as they faced the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship but after a quick first-half start, quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions lost grip of their lead resulting in a 34-31 loss.
Detroit came out dominating the line of scrimmage and was the more physical team and it showed as wide receiver Jameson Williams scored a 42-yard trick play end-around touchdown to give them a 7-0 lead. Lions running back David Montgomery set up the drive with multiple runs for over 10 yards.
The 49ers seemingly answered with a field goal, but kicker Jake Moody missed a 48-yard field goal which shifted all the momentum in Detroit’s favor.
An elite player for the Lions, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, converted a monumental third down on a screen-play which led to a TD by Montgomery, putting Detroit above San Francisco 14-0. Quickly, the 49ers drove down the field thanks to RB Christian McCaffrey’s 43 rushing yards and TD set the score at 14-7 early into the second quarter.
Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes, who made the game-sealing interception against the Bucs the week prior, went out with a knee injury midway through the second quarter. This set up Lions LB Malcolm Rodriguez to intercept 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to give Detroit solid field possession to potentially extend their lead.
Shortly after the turnover, Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs took a run all the way for a 15-yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead. After a stalled 49ers drive, St. Brown converted on two third downs to help kicker Michael Badgely drill a 21-yard field goal. Detroit headed into the locker room with a 24-7 lead and 30 minutes away from their first Super Bowl ever.
One notable appearance included Detroit rapper Eminem who sat in a booth and flipped off Niner fans prior to the start of the game.
The second half had a completely different feeling than the first, as the Niners won the battle in the trenches and made all the plays. San Francisco’s opening drive resulted in a made-field goal by Moody.
A stalled fourth-down conversion attempt from the Lions changed the direction of the game as Niner WR Brandon Aiyuk sprinted past the Lions’ defense and cornerback Kindle Vildor for a 51-yard reception which led to him getting in the end zone off of a seven-yard pass. This cut the Lions lead to 24-17.
Detroit’s mistakes started to add up as Gibbs fumbled on their first play which put the 49ers in striking distance. The 49ers took advantage of the Lions’ turnover and scored on a McCaffrey run to tie the game at 24. San Francisco jumped ahead in the third quarter outscoring the Lions 17-0 and dominating both sides of the ball.
Montgomery continued his impressive day with multiple notable carries which set them up with a fourth down play in the 49ers’ territory. Detroit’s over-aggressive style cost them as multiple misses from Goff allowed the 49ers to gain control of the game. Niners QB Purdy haunted the Lions with his legs, as he scrambled for multiple first downs in the second half. This resulted in a three-yard TD rush by 49ers’ RB Elijah Mitchell which gave a 34-24 cushion for San Francisco. The 49ers scored 24 straight points against the Lions.
Detroit slowly drove down the field with only minutes remaining, giving them a slim chance to pull off the comeback. On fourth and goal, Goff found Williams over the middle and in the end zone, cutting the lead to 34-31. However, the Lions needed to recover an onside kick to give them a chance.
In a close effort, the Lions did not recover the onside kick as Niners tight end George Kittle jumped on the ball and sealed the 49ers’ victory. After a scoreless second half and the 49ers scoring on every drive, San Francisco ended Detroit’s Cinderella run by a score of 34-31.
The reason Detroit was not able to retain their first-half lead was due to a multitude of reasons, but mainly because Goff missed a few open receivers, Lions WR Josh Reynolds dropping two passes, and the Lions’ defense not being able to stop the 49ers on third down. In the first half, Detroit was the team that converted most of the third downs but that flipped in the second half as Purdy proved why he is more than a game-changer.
Despite the emotional loss, Detroit’s accomplishments this season cannot be overlooked. Lions head coach Dan Cambell became the first coach in Detroit to win a National Football Conference (NFC) North title, win a playoff game at Ford Field, and the first coach since 1991 to lead them to the NFC Championship. The Lions’ future is as bright as the sun with multiple rookies and key contributors returning for another season.
With the Lions’ loss, the San Francisco 49ers move on to the Super Bowl to face QB Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium.
