49ers going to the Super Bowl: Highlights from Sunday’s thumping of Packers, 37-20

The San Francisco 49ers thoroughly dominated the first half of Sunday’s NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers and held on to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. They can thank Raheem Mostert and Nick Bosa for that. Bosa and his defensive teammates dominated the first half and Mostert had more than 200 rushing yards and four touchdowns 37-20. Richard Sherman capped the win with an interception of a long Aaron Rodgers pass with 1:48 remaining to finish the game.

It wasn’t without a little scare in the fourth quarter. The Packers scored a pair of touchdowns to get within two touchdowns with 8:13 remaining.

First, Rodgers completed a 42-yard pass to Jimmy Graham to open the quarter, which set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Aaron Jones. The Packers went for a two-point conversion but failed to make it 34-13 with 14:35 left.

Green Bay scored another touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Rodgers to Jace Sternberger to cut the lead down to 34-20, with 8:13 left.

Then the 49ers iced the game. They went on a nine-play, 49-yard drive capped by a 42-yard field goal by Robbie Gould to take a 37-20 lead with 3:36 remaining.

3rd quarter: 49ers 34, Packers 7

The Packers got the ball to open the third quarter and went 11 plays for 75 yards in 6:16, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Aaron Jones. That made it 27-7 with 8:44 left in the third.

San Francisco answered the next drive with a seven-play, 79-yard drive in 3:55 with a 22-yard touchdown run by Mostert — his fourth of the game.

Mostert in the third quarter eclipsed Colin Kaepernick for most rushing yards by a 49ers player in a single game in postseason history. Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards against the Packers in the NFC Divisional playoffs in 2013.

On fourth down and 2 from their 47-yard line, Green Bay converted and will open the fourth quarter at the 49ers’ 43-yard line.

Halftime: 49ers 27, Packers 0

San Francisco opened the second quarter with a 54-yard Robbie Gould field goal to take a 10-0 lead with 14:55 left in the half.

While the 49ers offense was making plays, the defense continued to make stops. Cornerback K’Waun Williams came on a cornerback blitz and got a strip sack, which was recovered by the Packers near their own 15-yard line.

With 9:31 left in the half, Tevin Coleman went down with a shoulder injury, his return was questionable, according to the 49ers. He had six carries for 21 yards before the injury. On the next play, Mostert scored a 9-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 17-0 with 9:12 left.

Green Bay drove all the way down to the 49ers’ 25-yard line, but a muffed snap resulted in a fumble recovered by DeForest Buckner with 5:39 remaining in the half.

After the two-minute warning, Gould made a 27-yard field goal to extend the lead to 20-0. The 49ers’ Emmanuel Moseley intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass with 1:01 left in the second quarter to give the 49ers the ball at the Packers’ 30-yard line. Three plays later, Mostert again broke free, this time on an 18-yard dash up the middle to give the 49ers a 27-0 lead with 50 seconds left in the half.

At the half, Mostert had 160 yards rushing on 13 carries and touchdown runs of 9, 18 and 36 yards.

The Packers will get the ball to open the second half.

1st Quarter: 49ers 7, Packers 0

The Packers won the opening kickoff and elected to defer, giving the 49ers the ball first. On the 49ers’ first drive, Tevin Coleman ran the ball three straight times for nine yards — resulting in a three-and-out.

On the Packers’ first drive, the 49ers defense also forced a three-and-out after allowing a first down on a screen pass from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams.

San Francisco scored first on its second drive via Mostert’s 36-yard touchdown run. The drive went six plays for 89 yards in three minutes and 38 seconds.

49ers defensive lineman Bosa on the ensuing drive sacked Rodgers on third down — resulting in another Green Bay punt.

San Francisco started the next drive on its own 49-yard line. Packers linebacker Kyler Fackrell sacked Jimmy Garoppolo on third down to end the quarter with the 49ers at the Packers’ 36-yard line.