TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center-Christian McCaffrey’s go-ahead TD rallies 49ers to 24-21 playoff win over Packers

SANTA CLARA,TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center Calif. (AP) — Christian McCaffrey scored his second touchdown on a 6-yard run with 1:07 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers mounted their first second-half comeback of the season to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in a divisional-round playoff game on Saturday night.

After spending all regular season as front-runners, the Niners (13-5) needed to come from behind for a change, and Brock Purdy and McCaffrey did just enough on the last drive to send San Francisco to its third straight NFC championship game. The Niners will host the winner of Sunday’s game between Tampa Bay and Detroit next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl.

Purdy went 6 for 7 for 47 yards on the decisive drive, converting a third down to Brandon Aiyuk and then a 17-yarder to Chris Conley.

McCaffrey finished it off with his run on third-and-short and the 49ers’ defense held on from there, with Dre Greenlaw intercepting Jordan Love for the second time to seal San Francisco’s fifth straight playoff win over Green Bay (10-9).

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That last throw across his body was one of the few mistakes by Love, who had given the Packers the lead with two TD passes in the third quarter.

RAVENS 34, TEXANS 10

BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and Baltimore beat Houston to advance to the AFC championship game.

Jackson helped the Ravens (14-4) take control in the third quarter after the teams entered the half tied at 10. His 15-yard scoring run put Baltimore ahead to stay, and he connected with Isaiah Likely from 15 yards to make it 24-10.

Although C.J. Stroud had a solid first half for Houston, the Texans (11-8) ultimately couldn’t turn promising drives into points against an impressive Ravens defense.

Baltimore will host the AFC title game for the first time since January 1971, when the Colts beat the Oakland Raiders on their way to a Super Bowl championship. The Ravens will take on Buffalo or Kansas City.

A punt return in the second quarter by Steven Sims was the only TD for the Texans.

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