SANTA CLARA, Calif. – San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan received the NFC championship trophy from his Super Bowl-winning father Mike and raised it to the sky.
The 49ers have gone on a surprising journey from picking No. 2 in the draft to being one of the last two teams standing – and they have one of the most unlikely playoff heroes to thank for it.
Journeyman Raheem Mostert rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns to make quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo mostly a spectator, Nick Bosa harassed Aaron Rodgers from the start and San Francisco beat the Green Bay Packers 37-20 for the NFC championship on Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert scores in front of Green Bay Packers free safety Darnell Savage during the first half of the NFC title game Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. / AP photo by Tony Avelar“I did have a lot of doubters and naysayers,” said Mostert, who has been cut seven times in his NFL career. “Now I get to actually tell them, ‘Look where I’m at now.’ I never gave up on my dreams.”
The 49ers (15-3) also had their skeptics after winning just 10 games in the first two seasons under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.