49ers rally past Packers, snag NFC title-game bid

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The San Francisco 49ers merely won’t go away.

The identical Niners that have been as soon as 3-5 and headed for a protracted offseason filled with questions are actually headed to the NFC championship sport for the second time in three seasons.

To get there, San Francisco needed to pull out the kind of late-game magic that has been an indicator of its late-season surge to the playoffs. The outcome was a wild 13-10 victory over the Inexperienced Bay Packers on Saturday night time at Lambeau Area.

After a disappointing offensive efficiency marked by drops, safety points and expensive missed throws, the Niners pieced collectively the drive they wanted on the largest second with receiver Deebo Samuel taking a handoff 9 yards for a primary down on third-and-7 at Inexperienced Bay’s 38.

That run arrange kicker Robbie Gould’s game-winning 45-yard subject purpose as time expired.

For a workforce that had gained eight of its previous 10 getting into Saturday’s sport, this one may need required probably the most unpredictable of contributions to make it occur.

Buoyed by a dominant defensive efficiency wherein they didn’t enable a landing after the primary drive of the sport, the Niners put the particular in particular groups to beat the Packers in a sport they trailed for many of the first three and a half quarters.

With their offense struggling mightily, the 49ers lastly received factors from a particular groups unit that usually got here below fireplace in latest weeks because the workforce’s largest weak point.

On fourth-and-19 at Inexperienced Bay’s 12, Niners defensive finish Jordan Willis, nursing a excessive ankle sprain, burst by way of the center and blocked punter Corey Bojorquez’s punt. The ball popped straight within the air earlier than touchdown close to rookie security Talanoa Hufanga.

Hufanga scooped it up and raced 6 yards for the landing and Gould’s additional level tied it at 10 with 4:41 to go.

It was the primary blocked punt return for a landing in 49ers playoff historical past and the second the Packers have given up in theirs. Inexperienced Bay is the primary workforce in not less than the previous 20 postseasons to have a punt and subject purpose blocked in the identical sport, based on ESPN Stats & Info analysis.

That was the largest particular groups play on an evening when the Niners additionally received a blocked subject purpose from security Jimmie Ward on the finish of the primary half and a 45-yard kick return from Samuel to open the third quarter.