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It wasn’t pretty coming down the stretch, but the San Francisco 49ers are headed to the Divisional Round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs. The 49ers staved off a comeback by the Dallas Cowboys to win 23-17. San Francisco will travel to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers next weekend.
What a finish....
What a way to end the game! #SuperWildCard pic.twitter.com/esKKpbkrQn
— NFL (@NFL) January 17, 2022
The 49ers took a 23-7 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a dominant defensive performance and the expected solid ground game. Jimmy Garoppolo was not making mistakes and it looked like San Francisco would roll. However, things took a turn on a bad Garoppolo pass.
The 49ers led 23-10 following a Cowboys field goal and had converted a first down. On the fourth play of the drive, Garoppolo overthrew Trenton Sherfield and Anthony Brown made the pick and returned it to the 49ers 28. Five plays later, Dak Prescott ran in five yards for the score.
San Francisco punted on their next drive and then the Cowboys turned the ball over on downs. The 49ers looked like they had secured the game with a QB sneak but Trent Williams was called for a false start when he had not set himself at the snap of the ball. It gave the Cowboys one last bit of life.
However, as the video above shows, it was for naught. They moved into Hail Mary range in the closing seconds, but then Prescott was stopped in the field of play and time expired. What a ridiculous finish.
The 49ers closed as field goal underdogs at DraftKings Sportsbook.