Field of Gould: Kick knocks off No. 1 seed Pack
49ers head to NFC title game behind special teams, defense
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Robbie Gould lived up to his name.
On a field littered with snow flurries, Gould made a 45-yard field goal Saturday night as time expired and the 49ers knocked off the top-seeded Packers 13-10.
Gould has made all 20 of his career playoff field-goal attempts. His latest helped the 49ers complete an improbable comeback by scoring 10 unanswered points in the last five minutes.
“I always trust Robbie. He’s as good as gold, man,” 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. “He always is.”
The 49ers (12-7) continued their postseason hex on Rodgers and advanced to an NFC championship game matchup Jan. 30 against the NFC West rival Rams in Los Angeles.
This marks the 17th conference championship appearance for the 49ers, the most by any team since conferences were formed in the 1970 merger. The 49ers had been tied with the Steelers.
The 49ers’ win, coupled with the Bengals’ 19-16 victory over the Titans earlier in the day, marked the first time both No. 1 seeds lost in the divisional round in the same season since 2010. The Packers beat the Falcons and the Jets topped the Patriots that season.
“It’s dangerous. When a team gets hot, it’s dangerous,” Garoppolo added. “So we’ve just got to keep this thing going, focus on next week now, and keep this thing rolling.”
Aaron Rodgers went 20 of 29 for 225 yards and dropped to 0-4 in career playoff starts against the 49ers. He’s the first quarterback in NFL history to lose four playoff starts to a single opponent.
The Packers (13-5) earned the NFC’s top seed for a second straight season and were the league’s only unbeaten team at home, but again failed to reach the big game. They haven’t made it to the Super Bowl since their 2010 championship season.
“I just didn’t envision it like this,” said the Packers’ Aaron Jones, who had nine catches
for 129 yards and 12 carries for 41 yards.
The 49ers tied the game with 4:41 left thanks to a breakdown by the Packers’ special teams, the team’s biggest weakness.
Jordan Willis’ outstretched left hand blocked a punt by Corey Bojorquez, who was kicking from the front of his end zone. Talanoa Hufanga picked up the ball at the 6-yard line and ran it in to make it 10-10.
After the Packers went three-and-out, the 49ers got the ball back at their 29 with 3:20 left and drove into field-goal range. Deebo Samuel delivered a 9-yard run on third-and-7 from the Packers 38, and the 49ers ran down the clock to set up Gould.
The 49ers blocked a Packers field-goal attempt earlier in the game.