Kyle Shanahan exorcised a personal demon in the 49ers' thrilling 24-21 comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night at Levi's Stadium.
Before the 49ers' divisional-round playoff clash with the Packers, Shanahan was 0-30 in his head coaching career when his team trailed by seven-plus points entering the fourth quarter.
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On Saturday, Shanahan and the 49ers snapped the infamous streak by reeling off 10 unanswered points in the final frame of Saturday's win over the Packers, overcoming a 21-14 fourth-quarter deficit to vault San Francisco into its third consecutive NFC Championship Game.
While attempts in similar positions this season against the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings fell short, this time, quarterback Brock Purdy led the 49ers on a 12-play, 69-yard game-winning drive to put San Francisco ahead 24-21 with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Saturday's comeback also improved the 49ers to 3-41 under Shanahan when trailing by five-plus points in the fourth quarter, with all three victories coming in must-win games, including San Francisco's stunning 13-10 upset of the Packers at Lambeau Field in the 2021 NFL playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers
Saturday's victory also marked the fifth consecutive time San Francisco has defeated Green Bay in the postseason.
San Francisco's gritty victory over Green Bay maintained its perfect playoff record at Levi's Stadium, where the 49ers are now 5-0 in postseason games.
That home-field advantage again will be critical when San Francisco hosts the winner of the divisional-round matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions in next weekend's NFC Championship Game. Regardless of the opponent, Shanahan and the 49ers hope to avoid facing a similar deficit entering the fourth quarter.
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