49ers 17-20 Rams, Rams going to Super Bowl, summary: score, stats, highlights | NFL NFC Championship Game, final

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Could Garoppolo's 49ers career be over after Rams defeat?

It was a tough one to take, but Jimmy Garoppolo's failure to get his San Francisco team into Super Bowl LVI may be his last involvement for them.

Cal has a look at the post-game comments...

The Los Angeles Rams are going to the Super Bowl and will play it in their own back yard after beating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. Linebacker Travin Howard had the game winning interception with 1:09 on the clock to secure the 20-17 victory.

LA's offseason, midseason moves paying off

Los Angeles made no secret that they were all in this season. They made the offseason move to bring Matthew Stafford to LA to win big games deep in the playoffs and in the middle of the season they brought in Odell Beckham Jr. and Vonn Miller within a matter of days. The front office moves paid off and now the Rams will have a chance to win the Super Bowl under their own roof.

These two familiar foes had already met twice before, and the Rams wound up worse for wear in both regular season matchups, but  Los Angeles won the only one that mattered at Sofi Stadium on Sunday.

Rams more physical to start game

During the two regular season games against San Francisco, the toughness of this Sean McVay's side came into question. They were beat up by the Niners, and doubts started to hover over Sofi Stadium.

In the first quarter, it was the Rams looking more like San Francisco than San Francisco was. The Los Angeles  run game was moving the ball, down the field and the defense was standing strong to open the Confernce Championship.

LA was in control but couldn't score in the opening 15 minutes after Matthew Stafford was picked off in the endzone by Jimmie Ward.

Rams respond after pick in endzone

The Rams would have to wait until midway though the second quarter to open up the scoring. The home side bounced back following the interception with an 18 play, 97 yard drive that ended with a Cooper Kupp touchdown to take the 7-0 lead.

San Francisco didn’t wait long to respond. They needed just four plays to see Deebo Samuel take a quick pass to the flat 44 yards to the house leveling the score at 7-7.

Robbie Gould  hit a 38 yard field goal as the first half clock expired giving San Francisco their first lead of the night heading to the locker rooms.

San Fran goes up two scores in third

Coming out of the half, the Niners stuffed Los Angeles on 4th and 1, which would lead to a George Kittle touchdown to give the visitors a 17-7 lead. They would hang on to the advantage until early in the fourth quarter.

Going down two possessions seemed to wake up the Rams. On their next possession, Matthew Stafford marched his team down the field, and a 3rd and 1 from the SF 11, he found Kupp for the touchdown that cut the lead down to 17-14.

Kupp key in history making night

Kupp had 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Six catches came on third down, four were good for first downs and the other two went for touchdowns on a night where he became the first receiver ever to record thirteen 100 yard games.

The defense that had their toughness questioned early in the season stepped up in the most important quarter of the season.

San Francisco was forced to punt on the next possession after getting just barley past midfield. Just three minutes later it was Matt Gay tied the game up at 17-17.  It was up to the defense to get the ball back for their quarterback to march down and orchestrate a game winning drive.

Gay's two clutch field goals sends San Fran packing

Following a Niners three and out Stafford and the Rams took over with 6:26 to go in the fourth quarter. Nine plays and two third down conversions later the Rams were at the San Francisco 12. Matt Gay took it from there, hitting a 30 yard field goal to take the lead with under two minutes to go.

We had seen the Niners come up with late scores to win or tie games over the last month, but Travin Howard made sure Garoppolo and the Niners late game heroics came to an end with an interception to seal the 20-17 win.

Super Bowl LVI at Sofi Stadium

The Rams are on to the Super Bowl and won’t have to go far two Sundays from now. They become the second team to play in a Super Bowl hosted in their home town. Los Angeles will play the Cincinnati Bengals on February 13th for a chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

Trevin Howard send the Rams to the Super Bowl with the interception.

Matt Gay with the go ahead field goal.

Kupp with yet another huge play to put the Rams in scoring range late in the game.

Kupp can't stop breaking records.

Kupp for touchdown number two.

Kittle dragging it down.

The Niners came up with a big stop on Stafford's QB sneak that lead to a TD drive minutes later.

Deebo ties it up with a 45 yard run.

Kupp with the first touchdown of the game, and what a game he had. Big catches in every big moment for the Rams

What an incredible last couple of weeks we have had in these NFL Playoffs. Both Conference Championships are decided by late field goals.

It will be the Los Angeles Rams playing the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI

GAME OVER!!! LOS ANGELES IS GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!

The Rams' losing streak against the Niners is snapped after losing their previous six.

INTERCEPTION!!!

Garoppolo was pressured and flicked it in desperation, Hasty coudln't handle it and it was intercepted by Howard!!

The Rams are going to the Super Bowl!!

FIELD GOAL!!!

Gay puts the Rams on top with 1:46 to go!!!

LA is less than two minutes away from hosting the Super Bowl at Sofi Stadium

With 1:49 the Niners take their second timeout, and that will bring Matt Gay out for a 30 yard attempt.

Stafford sacked right out of the Two Minute Warning, making a first down much more difficult on 3rd and 18

We are at the Two Minute Warning!!! Rams have the ball and can take the lead with a field goal or TD.

San Fran will have to start thinking about using one or two of their three timeouts left.

On 3rd down its Kupp again!! That's his sixth third down conversion today, two of them have gone for TDs.

LA gets a 1st down and it's Blanton picking it up!! What a night he's having filling in for the injured Higbee. 5 catcehes for 57 yards.

On 3rd and 15 it looked like no one knew the snap count. Busted play from the beginning, and that was an ugle possession for San Fran.

Rams ball from the 39 yard line.

Delay of game Niners, and that's a big penalty that pushes SF back to 2nd and 15. Penalties late in the game can kill a team.

And we have a tie in the 4th

You have to think with under 7 minutes left, both teams will likely get one more possession, not many more.

FIELD GOAL!!!

The Rams tie the game up with a Gay field goal from 40 yards out.

We have under 7 minutes to decide a winner from LA.

Tartt is going to have a hard time forgiving himself for missing this one..

Slip screen to Kupp, and that's just the Rams telling their best player to make a play on a huge 3rd down.

Stafford is miraculously not picked off by Tart, and then Beckham makes a 30 yard catch and 15 yards tacked on by a hit to the head. In one play the Rams are on the SF 41.

I'm not sure what Sean McVay was told, but was clearly down. That was the Rams final timeout, and a big risk for a play that was down by contact by a mile.

Just when we start to talk about the Niners starting to outmuscle the Rams, LA stops SF on 2nd and short and 3rd and short.

Watch out, McVay is risking his last timeout because he thinks the Niners fumbled on 3rd down.

Stafford to Kupp, round 2.

Mitchell with a 9 yard run, and the Niners look like they want to turn up the physicality and wear out the Rams defense.

Deebo with the YAC!!! Picking up the 1st down and keeping the clock moving

Huge first play by the Niners. Jimmy G holding on until the last second to find Mitchell over the middle for 21 yards

We have a three point game with 13:30

Blanton stepping up when the spotlight is on him. He's the last standing at TD for the Rams. 9 yard gain for Blanton to move the Rams into the red zone.

Did we just witness a designed flea flicker screen pass? Genius play construction from Los Angeles. Blanton picks up 20 yards on the trick play.

Al-Shaair flagged for taunting, and up by 10 against a dangerous offense, they can't afford those kind of self inflicted mistakes.

Garoppolo finding Kittle in the back of the endzone

Jennings on the second effort!!! What a time to get your first catch of the night. Picking up the first down on 3rd and 6, absorbing the contact and pulling the pile over the marker.

Deebo dragging the defense down the field. WR's are not supposed to run like that.

The Niners with their second big defensive play of the night.

SHORT BY A CHAINLINK!!! What a stop for the Niners.

The 49ers are a physical team, and just showed how tough it is to try to out muscle them on that 4th and 1.

Stafford on the QB sneak, and it couldn't be closer. Bring out the chains.

The Rams hung with the Niners playing their game, but they are going to have to start playing their own game. Expect some deep balls down the field and quick strike drives for Stafford and LA.

The Rams opening first down comes from Stafford to Bekham, and on the next play hits him again for 26 yards. Those two have LA at midfield after two plays.

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Another long drive coming up for the home side.

After not commiting a penalty the entire first half, the Rams have been flagged twice on this drive.

Are things starting to unravel for the Rams?

The Rams shooting themselves in the foot on 3rd and 4. Gaines jumps into the O line and the Niners get a free first down.

Jimmy G almost got picked off again, and he's gotten away with a couple passes that could have been intercepted, howlong can he survive.

We are underway in the second half! The Niners get the ball to start, up by 3.

Will the Ward play end up being the game changing play? It came in the first quarter, but it had a huge impact on the way things turned out in that first half.

The Rams are running the ball better, but they haven't been able to do much with it so far.

SF's defense was on the field for a long time in the first half, How will that have an affect then in the second half?

Deebo ties is up making magic happen on a play that looked like it was gong nowhere.

Ward with the play of the game so far.

Stafford to Kupp on the first score of the game.

Both quarterbacks playing well. How about Jimmy G getting his first TD pass of the post season

FIELD GOAL!!!

Gould drills the 38 yard field goal and the Niners go to the half up 10-7.

Garoppolo tucks and runs picks up a couple more yards to get Gould a bit closer.

San Fran going hurry up with a half minute to go.

Welcome to the game Killtle! On 3rd and 8 Jimmy G hits the Tight End for 11 yards to move the chains and stop the clock with their second time out.

Samuel is back on his feet, and doesn't look pleased about the hit or the way the Rams surrounded him after the hit.

Samuel just got drilled over the middle, Jummy G left him out to dry and Scott crused him. Deebo is still down on the ground, and the hopes and dreams of the Niners Super Bowl lie on the turf at Sofi Stadium.

Stafford looking for Beckham on the sideline, but the pass is over the head and wide of OBJ. Then Gay misses the 54 yard fieldgoal!

Niners take over with 1:50 to go tied at 7.

We are at the Two Minute Warning from Sofi Stadium. 3rd and 8 from the SF 36 coming up for the Rams.

Stafford going deep to Skowronek in the endzone, and he drops it in the endzone. The Niners DBs were lost, and that left Skowronek wide open for six. That's two drops on this drive that could have been turned into points.

Kupp with the drop over the middle, and we're likley to see Hailey's Comet before we see him drop a pass that open again.

The Rams facing 3rd and long again, and Stafford hits Beckham Jr over the middle for the first down.

LA have to stop putting themselves in 3rd and long situations.

Akers is back in the game and gets the first hand off of the drive. Good to see him back, let's see if Higbee can do the same.

Deebo doing Deebo things

TOUCHDOWN NINERS!!!

A wide receiver screen that looked like it was going to be stopped for a short game is broken for a touchdown by DEEBO SAMUEL!!!

Both teams stars making plays for the first TD's of the game.

Cooper Kupp... Who else?

Jimmy G to Aiyuk down the sideline for a big gain. All the attention on is directed at Deebo, but the Rams can't forget about Aiyuk and Jennings. Garoppolo's thumb and shoulder look good so far.

So here come the Niners again, They haven't got much going on the offensive end. Is this where they go tell Deebo to do his thing and take this game over?

What a drive to take back control of this game. 18 plays, 93 yards, and the Rams lead 7-0

TOUCHDOWN!!!!

Stafford hits Kupp in the back of the endzone on 3rd and 13!!! The Niners knew who it was going to, and they still couldn't stop Kupp.

Bosa gets to Stafford in the backfield for the first time tonight.

On 3rd and 6 in a critcal spot of the field, Who does Stafford look to? Kupp of course. It's almost like a hand off when those two link up.

Akers is now listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. The injuries starting to pile up for the Rams.

Higbee is ruled as questionable, but the only TE in left for LA picks up the 1st down with a 10 yard gain.

Stafford tucking and running, and he picks up the 3rd and 10 to keep the drive alive. That's probably the last thing the Niners were prepared for presnap. Staffor ran for under 50 yards all season.

We are into the second quarter, and at the moment this game is going just the way the Niners want. Keep this game uneventful and make the Rams go the length of the field against this tough SF defense to score.

The Rams have to feel happy about how Akers is running against this Niners offense. They did get bailed out on 3rd and 2 with a defenseive PI, but Michell and Akers are getting nice gains on each run.

Higbee just went off the field limping, and Ramsey was injured before LA's offense took the field. That could spell trouble on both ends of the balll.

Ward's pick takes points off the board

Oohhhh Garoppolo throwing off the back foot and was lucky not to get picked. The Niners are forced to punt, but what a punt it was. The Rams will have it from the 3.
San Fran may not have scored, but they changed the course of the game with that pick, and pinning the Rams deep in their own territory. That's the game the 49ers was to play.

Jimmy G doing exactly what he needs to do. Short throws, get comfortable, and get into a groove. That little dink to Mitchell went for 18 yards.

INTERCEPTION!!!

Staffords pass is picked off by Ward in the endzone!!! He was looking for Kupp but it got deflected up and into the arms of Ward.

Again, red zone efficiency.. Hard to win the NFC Championship getting inside the 10, and coming up empty handed.

Akers with the first big run of the day and that will give the Rams 1st and Goal. It goes without saying, redzone efficiency will be huge tonight.

Stafford going short, just chipping away at the Niners defense. With these short throwns they don't allow the D line to get to Stafford

San Fran is getting pressure on Stafford to start this game. Their defensive line will have to made Stafford uncomfortable all night long.

Jimmy G had Kittle on 3rd and 7, but Garoppolo overthrew him over the middle. How much did nerves come into play on that throw and how much was it that bummed thumb and sprained shoulder?

The Niners have exposed the Rams in the preivous two games. They are the stronger, more physical team and they need to show that again tonight.

The Niners hold the Rams to 3 and out, and Jimmy G will take the field looking for his first touchdown of these playoffs.

How do the Rams come out of the gate? San Fran had to battle back in their Week 18 win, they would like to avoid having to do the same tongiht.

The Rams gt the ball first and here comes Matthew Stafford and the LA.

We are underway from Sofi Stadium!!! Either the Niners or the Rams are going to the Super Bowl, We have three hours to find out.

Brandy is rocking the Star Spangled Banner. It was Ashanti in the KC doing the National Anthem, It's a throw back Confernce Championship Sunday with the old school R&B singers getting us ready to go.

The National Anthem is coming up, and we are just moments away from kick off of the NFC Championship from Sofi Stadium.

Odds

The Rams are 3.5 point favorites tonight with the Over/Under set at 46.

Did we mention there will be plenty of Red and Gold

Jimmy G talking to the traveling fans

Deebo is a gamer, and this is the biggest game of his life

What a pick up Von Miller was for the Rams

LA drip

They are going to overtime in Arrowead!!! Let's hope the Niners Rams game is just as good.

Stafford streaking

Matt Stafford’s stats have never been questioned, but his ability to win in the postseason has. Before this year, Stafford was 0-3 all time in the playoffs. The Rams took a chance on the gun slinger this offseason and it has paid off tenfold. He won his first playoff game by crushing the Arizona Cardinals, and then knocked off Tom Brady and the Bucs to get to his first conference championship game.

Jimmy G surviving

Both quarterbacks come into tonight’s game with drastically different stories through this point in the playoffs. Niners’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo has been battling a series of injuries, including a chipped bone and torn ligaments in his thumb and a shoulder sprain. Both injuries are on his throwing arm, and his stats have suffered in the meantime. In his two post season games he has thrown for a total of 303 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

AFC Championship

The Chiefs and the Bengals are locked in a tight battle late. It's going to come down to the final possession

San Fran have won six straight vs. LA

In the previous two games between these two teams, the 49ers beat the the Rams. Once in a 31-10 drubbing in Week 10, and again on the final game of the regular season. The Niners needed overtime to top the Rams after going down 17-0 in the first half, but rallying to tie the game at 24 in the final minute, and then Robbie Gould sealed San Fran’s playoff future with a game winning OT field goal.

Rams knock of Brady and Bucs

The Rams survived a fourth quarter scare in Tampa Bay last week, after giving up 24 unanswered points to Tom Brady and the Bucs in the finals two quarters. Matthew Stafford drove the Rams down the field in the final minute of the game, setting up a Matt Gay field goal to end the Bucs repeat bid, and secure their place in the NFC Title game.

Niners a win away from Super Bowl after slow start

The Niners run to the NFC Championship started after ten 2-4 start to the season. The needed an overtime win in Week 18 just to sneak in the playoffs. In the Wild Card round, San Francisco just edged the Dallas Cowboys as the clock expired before Dak Prescott could take the final snap of the game with a chance to tie up the game.

Then they needed a special teams miracle in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers in a snowy night from Lambeau Field. The offense was stagnant all night, and needed a special teams miracle in the fourth quarter to tie the game up and then Robbie Gould hit the game winning field goal as the clock expired.

NFC Championship from Sofi

Hello everyone and welcome the the NFC Championship games where the Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are looking to get back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years while the Rams have a chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy for fifth time in franchise history.

49ers vs. Rams

A spot in the Super Bowl is on the line from Los Angeles as two NFC West rivals go toe-to-toe tonight. AS English will be with you every step of the way with live updates, stats, highlights and analysis from Sofi Stadium.