SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ What a perfect way for the 49ers to commemorate the silver anniversary of their last Super Bowl win: they're returning Feb. 2 to the same field in Miami, in search of another sterling silver Lombardi Trophy.
Sunday's 37-20, NFC Championship win over the Green Bay Packers locked the 49ers into their Super Bowl LIV date with the AFC-champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Levi's Stadium, in a banner Year 6 of existence, hosted quite the sendoff party for the top-seeded 49ers (15-3).
Offensively, Raheem Mostert became the only player in NFL playoff history to run for four touchdowns and over 200 yards. His 220 yards (29 carries) were second only to Eric Dickerson's record of 248 yards for the 1985 Los Angeles Rams. Mostert benefited from absolutely dominant blocking while showcasing his elite vision and speed (21.87 mph on his first touchdown run).
Defensively, the 49ers posted a first-half shutout (27-0), and that was just enough to offset a second-half scoring surge from Aaron Rodgers, the Cal product who fell to 0-3 in playoff action against his childhood team.
Even the 49ers special teams looked championship caliber, highlighted by Robbie Gould's 3-for-3 field goal attempts, starting with a 54-yard boot that was his longest since 2015.
The No. 2-seed Packers, less than 24 hours after checking into their Menlo Park hotel, were flat from the outset. It was deja vu from Nov. 24, when Green Bay fell behind 23-0 by halftime of a 37-8 rout by the host 49ers. Rodgers was 31-of-39 for 326 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Amid all the historical fallout from Sunday's capturing of the George Halas Trophy, what matters most is a seventh trip to the Super Bowl. The 49ers were 5-0 on that stage until their 2012 team fell 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans.
Now it's on to Miami _ specifically, Miami Gardens _ and Hard Rock Stadium, which was known as Joe Robbie Stadium when the 49ers won Super Bowls there on Jan. 29, 1995 (over the San Diego Chargers, 49-26) and on Jan. 22, 1989 (over the Cincinnati Bengals, 22-16).
Here are Sunday's highs and few lows that delivered the 49ers their latest Super Bowl berth:
