For 30 minutes Sunday night, the 49ers looked like they were going to go out with a thud. But when they came out of the locker room for the second half of the NFC Championship Game, they were a completely different team.
Led by Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and a stout defense, the 49ers rallied for a thrilling 34-31 win over the Detroit Lions to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVIII and a rematch with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
After the classic game, everyone from former 49ers great Patrick Willis to Purdy detractors Ryan Clark and Amy Trask posted on social, with all offering congratulations to San Francisco on their second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
After earning the No. 1 NFC seed with a 12-5 record and beating the Green Bay Packers and Lions in the playoffs, the 49ers will face the Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Purdy has a chance to complete one of the unlikeliest stories in NFL history if he can go from final pick in the draft to Super Bowl champion within two seasons.
If that happens, Purdy's critics won't have anything left to stand on.