49ers rally vs. Lions in NFC title game to reach Super Bowl LVIII - ESPN

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. The Niners took their first lead with 9:52 left on a 33-yard field goal from kicker Jake Moody to make it 27-24.

To ice the victory, the Niners got a fourth-down stop in their territory (their second of the game), a 3-yard touchdown run from back Elijah Mitchell to make it 34-24, and an onside kick recovery from Kittle. It was tied for the biggest comeback in an NFC Championship Game, matching the 2012 Niners who came back from down 17 to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

It also was a bit of revenge for the 1957 Niners, who, coincidentally, had a 24-7 halftime lead and went up 27-7 against the Lions in the 1957 Western Conference playoffs, only to lose 31-27.

With the victory, the Niners sit alone in NFL