Who will the 49ers play next in the NFC Championship game? San Francisco's playoff path explained
The San Francisco 49ers had to work for it, but they managed to get past the Dallas Cowboys 19-12, advancing to the NFC Championship game to be played next Sunday.
It was a difficult game for the 49ers. It wasn't the best game of Brock Purdy's career, even though he did not throw an interception. The offense struggled to create explosive plays against a strong Cowboys front seven, who took away breakout runs and big plays. Still, San Francisco had four field goals to help secure the win.
The 49ers now have a full week to prepare for the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles, who beat the New York Giants 38-7 on Saturday.
In a game between the two teams with the best records in the NFC, the Eagles hold home-field advantage. The game will be played at Lincoln Financial Field.
Potential Super Bowl opponents for the San Francisco 49ers
Beating the Philadelphia Eagles won't be an easy task. To be fair, the Eagles have been the best team in the NFC for the entire season and, after a few struggles here and there in December, they are back to their best. Poor Giants.
The 49ers should expect an all-out brawl on Sunday. If they beat the Eagles, then they will face either the Kansas City Chiefs or the Cincinnati Bengals for the Super Bowl.
This will be a rematch of last season's AFC Championship game in which the Bengals orchestrated a second-half comeback after being down 21-3 midway through the second quarter to shock the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
This is also San Francisco's second straight appearance in the NFC Championship game and the third in four years. Last season, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams 20-17. In 2019, they beat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 before losing to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
If Kyle Shanahan's team advances, there will be a Super Bowl rematch no matter what. They played twice against the Bengals in the big game in the past, winning both: 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI and 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII.