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49ers v Packers: 3 reasons the 49ers won the NFC Championship game

By Robert Morrison

George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 19: Raheem Mostert #31 San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 19: Raheem Mostert #31 San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

No. 1: Raheem Mostert & The Running Game

Maybe the most important play of the NFC Championship Game actually happened very early in the contest.

After both offenses had the ball and punted it away, the 49ers took the field for their second possession, looking to take advantage of a strong opening drive from their defense.

The drive started off efficiently, with wide receiver Deebo Samuel making two receptions for 46 yards, and running back Raheem Mostert running twice for 11 yards, moving the ball into Packers territory at the 38-yard line.

Then, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw a pass to Mostert that was bottled up by Packers defensive back Darnell Savage for a loss of four, leading to 3rd and 8 from the Packers 32. The promising drive was beginning to look like it might peter out with a long field goal attempt.

And then Shanahan called a trap run to Mostert, and the 49ers running back took it 36 yards to the end zone for his first of four touchdowns on the day.

Little did anyone know it at the time, but the rout was on.

Mostert, who began the season as a key special teams contributor and emergency fourth running back, went on to rush for a 49ers single-game record 220 yards on 29 carries (a 7.6 average per rush), as well as four touchdowns, which tied former 49er Ricky Watters and former Patriot LeGarrette Blount for most in a single playoff game.

The running back also led the team with a 90.7 elite grade from PFF, the first such grade of his season, where he has now eclipsed the 1000 yard total, including playoffs. And a week after the 49ers ran the ball 47 times for 186 yards to crush the Vikings, they ran fewer attempts (42, including three kneel downs from Garoppolo) for almost 100 more yards (285, or 286 if you again remove Garoppolo), an average of 6.8 yards per carry.

The 49ers have now won two playoff games while Garoppolo had numbers of 17-27 for 208 yards, one touchdown, and one pick. And while more may be asked of him against the Chiefs, he was exactly what the team needed him to be.

Next. 49ers grades, analysis from NFC Championship win vs. Packers. dark

The Packers had no answers for the 49ers run game, and it was a key to orchestrating the Niners blowout of the Packers and setting up a date with Kansas City on February 2 in Miami.