49ers Survive Once Again To Advance In Playoffs To Green Bay

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers definite aren’t advancing the casual way.

A week aft overcoming a 17-point shortage and past holding connected astatine the extremity to get into the the playoffs, the Niners astir blew a 16-point pb successful the 4th fourth earlier holding connected for a 23-17 triumph implicit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

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“Just a small spot of a roller coaster,” choky extremity George Kittle said. “That was wild. A batch of ups and downs. A batch of unknowns. I deliberation the Niners marque for large TV.”

San Francisco built the 23-7 pb down a beardown antiaircraft effort, a mates of cardinal third-down conversions by backmost Jimmy Garoppolo, and large plays connected the crushed from All-Pro Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell.

A bid of mistakes successful the 4th fourth astir squandered it earlier the Niners (11-7) survived astatine the end. Dak Prescott’s ill-advised QB gully ran retired the timepiece and denied the Cowboys 1 past changeable astatine the extremity zone.

That ending came a week aft Garoppolo led an 88-yard thrust successful the last minutes to seal a win-or-go-home crippled against the Rams into overtime. San Francisco won it with a tract extremity and a game-sealing interception.

This latest triumph sends San Francisco to Green Bay connected Saturday nighttime for a showdown with the Packers.

“Whenever you person to conflict astatine the extremity similar that, it shows the existent team, you tin look guys successful the eyes and spot who is successful that infinitesimal and acceptable for it,” Garoppolo said. “It’s conscionable going to bash america good down the road. It’s not going to beryllium casual going into Lambeau. We cognize it’s going to beryllium a pugnacious situation for us, but we are acceptable for it.”

WHAT’S WORKING

Pass rush. The Niners had 5 sacks and pressured Prescott connected astir fractional of his dropbacks contempt losing prima walk rusher Nick Bosa to a concussion successful the archetypal half. Midseason acquisition Charles Omenihu led the mode with 1 1/2 sacks and a team-high six pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Five others got astatine slightest a stock of a sack, including Arik Armstead and D.J. Jones, who each had a sack and 3 pressures.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Special teams. San Francisco’s season-long woes connected peculiar teams showed up again successful the wild-card game. Mark Nzeocha extended a thrust successful the 3rd 4th with a roughing-the-punter penalty. Then aboriginal successful the 4th period, Josh Norman mislaid sum connected gunner C.J. Goodwin connected a fake punt.

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“If you springiness a squad opportunities similar that, it makes it pugnacious to support that pb similar we had,” manager Kyle Shanahan said. “That would beryllium thing that would beryllium precise hard to get distant with going into Lambeau.”

STOCK UP

WR Jauan Jennings. The second-year receiver has taken connected a bigger relation successful caller weeks. Even though helium lone had 3 catches for 29 yards, each 3 came connected 3rd down to widen drives. Jennings has gotten a archetypal down connected 13 of his past 16 catches, with 10 coming connected 3rd downs successful the past 5 games.

STOCK DOWN

Garoppolo. The Niners got the triumph but it was much successful spite of Garoppolo successful the 2nd fractional alternatively of due to the fact that of him. He missed a wide-open Brandon Aiyuk connected a heavy walk precocious successful the 3rd 4th to assistance commencement Dallas’ comeback. He past threw an interception aboriginal successful the 4th that made it a one-score game, and snapped excessively rapidly erstwhile San Francisco tried to seal it precocious connected a fourth-and-1 sneak.

Garoppolo was 5 for 11 for 39 yards and an interception successful the 2nd half.

INJURIES

Shanahan is hopeful that LB Fred Warner (low ankle sprain) tin signifier this week. … Garoppolo (right enarthrosis sprain) besides should practice. … DE Nick Bosa is successful concussion protocol and Shanahan said: “He seems similar he’s successful a beauteous bully spot close now.” … DE Jordan Willis has a precocious ankle sprain and volition apt beryllium sidelined for a while. … LB Marcell Harris (Achilles tendon) and S Talanoa Hufanga (knee) could instrumentality this week.

KEY NUMBER

18 — Kicker Robbie Gould made each 3 tract extremity tries, making him 18 for 18 successful his postseason career. That’s the astir tract goals made successful the playoffs without a miss successful NFL history. Gould made kicks from 53 and 52 yards, becoming the seventh subordinate ever to deed 2 FGs of astatine slightest 50 yards successful a playoff game.

NEXT STEPS

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The 49ers question to Green Bay to look the Packers for the ninth clip successful the playoffs successful their history. That ties the Cowboys and Rams for the astir playoff matchups betwixt 2 teams successful NFL history. The teams person divided the erstwhile eight, with San Francisco winning the past three.