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 on 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.