The NFC saw the San Francisco 49ers (14-3) take on the Minnesota Vikings (11-7) in what proved to be a San Francisco dominated game. The 49ers won 27-10 in front of a red and gold crowd to move on the NFC Championship game.
The 49ers defense was solid all game and as the clock began to wind down in the fourth, they didn’t let up, shutting down Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and the rest of the offense. Despite a few conversions and a fumble recovery late in the fourth, the Vikings were unable to pull off the win at Levi’s Stadium.
Cousins was 21 of 29 with one touchdown and one interception while Dalvin Cook was stopped on his nine carries for just 18 yards. San Francisco defensive coordinator Robert Saleh did an excellent job calling plays in order to keep Cook from doing what he does best.
San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had a decent night going 11 of 19 with one touchdown and an interception. Tevin Coleman led with 22 carries and 105 yards, while Raheem Mostert helped out by adding 58 yards on 12 carries. Richard Sherman also had a big night on defense, creating problems for Cousins in the back field.
Entering the offseason, the Vikings will reevaluate with potential roster changes and coaching shake-ups as they seek to fix the mistakes that have cost them big games this season.
As for the 49ers, they will face the winner of Green Bay and Seattle in the NFC Championship game and the chance to head to the Super Bowl.
