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The 49ers embarrassed the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, as special teamer and backup running back Raheem Mostert rushed for four touchdowns on the way to a 37-20 victory.
Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t needed to do much more than hand it off to Mostert, as he set a record for fewest pass-attempts in a playoff game with eight. He ended up needing just six completions for 77 yards to put the Packers away.
We witnessed Derrick Henry and the Titans run game win in the playoffs but ultimately failed on Sunday against the Chiefs, but the 49ers run game, with its diversity and strong defense backing it up, did end up dominating in these playoffs.
Last week the 49ers ran the ball on 47 of their 68 offensive plays and accumulated 186 yards and a touchdown at 4 yards per carry as they easily beat the Vikings. This week, they took the run game even further, as they ran the ball on 40 of their 52 plays for 287 yards and four touchdowns at 6.8 yards per rushing attempt.
Aaron Rodgers did not look good in the first half, as he completed 9-of-12 passes for 64 yards, threw no touchdowns, an interception and lost a fumble. He turned things around in the second half, but staking the 49ers to a 27-0 lead is not going to end up giving you a win all that often or ever. In the end, Rodgers completed 31-of-39 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Aaron Jones and Davante Adams were the offensive stars for the Packers, as Jones scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, giving him a huge 23 touchdowns on the season and Adams caught 9-of-10 targets for 138 yards, but in the end, it was all Mostert.
Tevin Coleman was forced from this game due to a shoulder injury in the second quarter and after that, Mostert took over, rushing 29 times for a 49ers record 220 yards and four touchdowns.
Mostert and company now travel to Miami, where they will take on the red-hot Kansas City offense led by last year’s MVP Patrick Mahomes. The matchup should be an even one, as both teams can put up big points, but Kansas City will need to slow this prolific running game down.