Detroit Lions had a 24-7 lead at half-time of the NFC Championship Game but ultimately were not able to secure the win. The San Francisco 49ers scored 17 points in an eight-minute span of the third quarter to tie the game and then pulled away in the fourth to beat the Lions 34-31 and reach the Super Bowl. Brock Purdy’s 51-yard pass that deflected off a defender’s facemask into Aiyuk’s hands was a key moment in helping the Niners rally.
Reflecting on the game, Lions quarterback Jared Goff admitted: “It’s hard to juggle those two emotions of being proud of what we’ve done this year and dealing with the heartache of the loss.” The Lions’ emotional head coach Dan Campbell added: “You feel like you get your heart ripped out.”