INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 09: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with teammates after scoring a landing within the third quarter in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photograph by Joe Scarnici/Getty Pictures)
The 49ers are, thus far, conquering an unprecedented journey log to succeed in the Tremendous Bowl.
A minimum of this subsequent cease is a brief, acquainted jaunt.
They’ll be visiting the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC Championship at 3:30 p.m. subsequent Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the place the 49ers gained in additional time two weeks in the past, and the place Tremendous Bowl LVI will likely be held Feb. 13.
That’s proper, these touring businessmen from Santa Clara HQ gained’t have to go away California once more in the event that they’re to deliver house the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.
The No. 4-seed Rams superior with a 30-27, walk-off win in opposition to the reigning Tremendous Bowl champion and No. 2-seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Of the seven groups that beforehand gained the Tremendous Bowl as a wild card, none traveled as a lot the ultimate two months of their season because the 49ers have, thus far. This will likely be their seventh street recreation in 9 weeks.
Solely two weeks in the past, the 49ers saved their season alive by rallying from a 17-0 deficit and downing the Rams in additional time, thus locking the 49ers into the NFC’s No. 6 seed as a wild card.
SoFi Stadium was besieged by red-clad, 49ers followers, and it was so loud that the Rams’ offense resorted to utilizing a silent depend within the 27-24 thriller.
If the 49ers win in Sunday’s encore go to — the place the Rams try to promote tickets solely to native residents — they’ll be making truly their fourth look this season at SoFi Stadium. It's the place they performed their solely street recreation within the preseason, a win over the Chargers.
These stakes are a lot larger. After the Jan. 9 win over the host Rams, then got here a nail-biting win at No. 3-seed Dallas, adopted by a fourth-quarter comeback Saturday night time within the snow at No. 1 Inexperienced Bay.
Jet lag? It will possibly wait, apparently.
This nine-game stretch started Dec. 5 at Seattle (loss) earlier than ensuing visits to Cincinnati (Dec. 12, win), Tennessee (Dec. 23, loss), Los Angeles Rams (Jan. 9 win), Dallas (Jan. 16, win), Inexperienced Bay (Jan. 22, win) and again once more to Los Angeles this Sunday.
That makes seven journeys, and essentially the most any wild-card champion traveled have been six video games within the 9 main as much as a Tremendous Bowl.
“It is rather rewarding to be an underdog, are available in and take one thing,” linebacker Fred Warner mentioned after Saturday’s 13-10 win over the Packers.
Earlier than flying Friday to Inexperienced Bay, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan sensed his group was able to go after rapidly overcoming any jetlag earlier within the week. The street comes with an opportunity to relaxation, too, not less than earlier than kickoff.
“I don’t thoughts the touring,” Shanahan mentioned Friday. “… It’s tougher to only sit there and zone out while you’re round your complete household, as an alternative of simply sitting in a lodge room, so I feel our guys get to sleep, we catch up.”
It’s value noting the 49ers gained two weeks earlier than that throughout the nation in Jacksonville. This was additionally the primary season of the 17-game schedule, which meant an additional street recreation for the 49ers. They’re 8-3 general on the street this 12 months, and, by the way, 7-1 of their conventional street uniform of white jerseys and gold pants (0-2 within the all-white throwbacks).
The Rams, in the meantime, will attempt doing what the Bucs did final season: win a Tremendous Bowl on their house turf, the primary time that had occurred within the recreation’s 55-year historical past. The Rams have misplaced six in a row to the 49ers, getting swept within the home-away sequence yearly since 2019.
Listed here are the seven earlier wild-card champions and what street video games they performed within the 9 general video games resulting in their respective Tremendous Bowl:
1980 Raiders
6 street video games (in remaining 9): At Seattle (W), Philadelphia (L), Denver (W), New York Giants (W), Cleveland (W), San Diego (W)
Beat the Eagles in Tremendous Bowl XV, 27-10
1997 Broncos
6: At Kansas Metropolis (L), San Diego (W), Pittsburgh (L), San Francisco (L), Kansas Metropolis (W), Pittsburgh (W)
Beat Packers in Tremendous Bowl XXXII, 31-24
2000 Ravens
4: At Tennessee (W), Arizona (W), Tennessee (W), Oakland (W)
Beat Giants in Tremendous Bowl XXXV, 34-7
2005 Steelers
Beat Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl XL, 21-10
6: At Indianapolis (L), Minnesota (W), Cleveland (W), Cincinnati (W), Indianapolis (W), Denver (W)
2007 Giants
6: At Chicago (W), Philadelphia (W), Buffalo (W), Tampa Bay (W), Dallas (W), Inexperienced Bay (W)
Beat Patriots in Tremendous Bowl XLII, 17-14
2010 Packers
6: At Atlanta (L), Detroit (L), New England (L), Philadlephia (W), Atlanta (W), Chicago (W)
Beat Steelers in Tremendous Bowl XLV, 31-25
2020 Bucs
Beat Chiefs in Tremendous Bowl LV, 31-9
5: At Atlanta (W), Detroit (W), Washington (W), New Orleans (W), Inexperienced Bay (W)
“The way in which this 12 months has gone has made this journey particular, and I’m glad it’s nonetheless going,” defensive finish Nick Bosa mentioned.
Two years in the past, the 49ers loved home-field benefit and gained their NFC playoff video games in opposition to Minnesota and Inexperienced Bay at Levi’s Stadium (earlier than falling within the Tremendous Bowl to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Miami).
“There’s nothing we like greater than being at house and being in our personal stadium with our followers and the noise,” Shanahan mentioned, “however in addition to that, we don’t thoughts happening the street both.”