GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 22: San Francisco 49ers’ Talanoa Hufanga (29) scores a landing off of a blocked punt in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers within the fourth quarter for his or her NFC divisional playoff NFL sport at Lambeau Area in Inexperienced Bay, Wi., on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
It’s the time of the NFL season the place the way you win doesn't matter, as long as you win.
Nonetheless, the best way through which the 49ers got here from behind to upset the NFL-best Packers 13-10 on Saturday night time in snowy, bitter chilly Inexperienced Bay set all types of historical past — together with reaching a convention championship sport for a document seventeenth time.
Most notable was the particular groups effort, the place Jimmie Ward blocked a area purpose on the finish of the primary half (his first profession blocked area purpose), then Jordan Willis blocked a punt (additionally his first profession blocked punt) halfway by means of the fourth quarter that Talanoa Hufanga recovered and returned six yards for a landing. It’s the primary blocked punt returned for a landing in 49ers postseason historical past.
San Francisco can also be simply the third group within the Tremendous Bowl period to dam a area purpose and a punt in the identical playoff sport. The opposite two groups had been the 1976 Vikings, who did it within the NFC Championship Recreation to beat the Rams, and the 1988 Payments, who used the blocks to beat the Houston Oilers within the AFC divisional spherical.
The Niners are simply the fourth group since 2000 to win a playoff sport with out scoring an offensive landing, and 13 factors within the fewest factors San Francisco’s scored in a postseason win in franchise historical past (the group’s earlier low: 14, in a house shutout of the Eagles again in 1996).
The win additionally continues the possession that the 49ers have over Aaron Rodgers, the Packers quarterback who the 49ers handed on selecting first general within the 2005 NFL Draft. The previous Cal quarterback is now 0-4 within the playoffs in opposition to San Francisco, which is probably the most playoff losses in opposition to a single opponent and not using a win by a beginning quarterback since 1950, based on ESPN.
And there’s one stat to regulate in subsequent week’s NFC Championship. After hitting two area objectives, together with the walk-off 45-yarder, Robbie Gould stays excellent in his postseason profession, going 20 for 20 on kicks. He solely trails Mason Crosby (23) and Stephen Gostkowski (22) for longest streaks of consecutive made area objectives in NFL historical past.
Not a foul solution to end a frigid night time.