San Francisco survives once again to advance
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers sure aren’t advancing the easy way.
A week after overcoming a 17-point deficit and then holding on at the end to get into the the playoffs, the Niners nearly blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter before holding on for a 23-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
“Just a little bit of a roller coaster,” tight end George Kittle said. “That was wild. A lot of ups and downs. A lot of unknowns. I think the Niners make for great TV.”
San Francisco built the 23-7 lead behind a strong defensive effort, a couple of key third-down conversions by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and big plays on the ground from All-Pro Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell.
A series of mistakes in the fourth quarter nearly squandered it before the Niners (11-7) survived at the end. Dak Prescott’s ill-advised QB draw ran out the clock and denied the Cowboys one last shot at the end zone.
That ending came a week after Garoppolo led an 88-yard drive in the final minutes to seal a win-or-gohome game against the Rams into overtime. San Francisco won it with a field goal and a game-sealing interception.
This latest win sends San Francisco to Green Bay on Saturday night for a showdown with the Packers.
“Whenever you have to battle at the end like that, it shows the real team, you can look guys in the eyes and see who is in that moment and ready for it,” Garoppolo said. “It’s just going to do us well down the road. It’s not going to be easy going into Lambeau. We know it’s going to be a tough challenge for us, but we are ready for it.”