SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As the seconds ticked away in the San Francisco 49ers' Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, tight end George Kittle was filmed on the sideline vowing to return to the NFL's biggest stage.
It took four years and a historic comeback Sunday, but the Niners finally made good on Kittle's promise. With their stunning, 34-31 come-from-behind win against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers are not only returning to the Super Bowl but will get a chance to avenge that loss to the Chiefs on Feb.
11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. To get there, the Niners needed to overcome a 24-7 deficit after a first half in which the Lions were the clear aggressor, running the ball at will and pressuring San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy on nearly 60% of his dropbacks.
But the veteran-laden Niners didn't bow out, sparked by receiver Brandon Aiyuk's 51-yard catch off a deflection off Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor's helmet, and rattled off 17 points in an eight-minute span to tie the game.