The San Francisco 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV in Miami after a dominant display in the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers.
The Chiefs came from ten points down to beat the Tennessee Titans 35-24 to claim the AFC Championship and return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years, but they’ll have it all to do to try and stop what looked an all-powerful San Francisco 49ers side who saw off the Packers 37-20.
Five-time Super Bowl winners San Francisco last featured in the Super Bowl in 2013 when they lost out to Baltimore, but they look like they mean business judging by the way they totally dominated Aaron Rodgers’ side in all facets of the game.
Raheem Mostert had a record night at running back for the 49ers, who also beat the Packers 37-8 in the regular season, running in four touchdowns and 220 yards in a one-sided contest from the very start.
Mostert ran in three touchdowns in the first half alone as the hosts went in 27-0 up at half-time, with Rodgers looking rattled from the start as the 49ers’ defence kept them in a state of fear and confusion all night.
🏆 A dominant @49ers beat the @packers to make #SuperBowlLIV in Miami
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 20, 2020
🏹 The @Chiefs will be waiting, but who wins?#GBvsSF #NFCChampionship #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/aDCq8jjs9D
Mostert had previously been released by six NFL teams, but has found a home in San Francisco and his 160 yards and three first half scores represented an NFL record performance in the play-offs, and there was no let-up in the second half.
The Packers finally scored in the third quarter through Aaron Jones, but Mostert responded with his fourth of the night as yet again he exploited some huge holes in the Packers rearguard.
Rodgers managed to reduce the deficit to 14 points in the fourth quarter but a field goal iced the game for the Niners and ensured they would go to Miami to face the Chiefs.
Chiefs comeback to make it to Miami
The Chiefs fell 24-0 behind before producing an epic comeback against Houston last week, and again they were slow starters as they twice slipped 10 points behind in another sloppy start.
Mahomes soon took charge of the game though, throwing two touchdowns to Tyreek Hill before producing a brilliant 27-yard run that saw him outrun a couple of tacklers and outmuscle two more as he barged his way over the line.
🏆 The @Chiefs are back in the #SuperBowl for the first time in 50 years after winning the #AFCChampionship!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 19, 2020
Who will they face? #ChiefsKingdom#TENvsKCpic.twitter.com/kddxOv4CTi
The Titans had looked like they had the Chiefs’ number in the first half as they scored through Derrick Henry and enjoyed the majority of possession, yet still went in at half time 21-17 behind.
The Chiefs turned the game on it’s head in the second half, as they took over seven minutes off the clock with a grinding drive that ended with a Damien Williams run from three yards out, before a much more Chiefs-like score through a 60-yard Sammy Watkins touchdown reception.
That effectively sealed the game despite a consolation score for the Titans, who saw their magical run finally end just a game short of what would’ve been the most surprising of Super Bowl appearances.
For the Chiefs, it’s a return to the Super Bowl after a 50-year gap, which is the longest time in between appearances in NFL history.
