Raheem Mostert, 49ers dominate Packers 27-0 in first half of NFC Championship Game

The San Francisco 49ers are two quarters away from representing the NFC in Super Bowl LIV. And the 27-0 halftime lead over the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFC Championship is a pretty good situation to be in, barring any collapses from head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad in the second half.

San Francisco opened up on offense, ultimately going 3-and-out after the Packers defense stuffed running back Tevin Coleman on a 3rd-and-1 play. Yet the Niners defense, despite giving up one first down, managed to keep Green Bay from crossing midfield on its initial possession. The 49ers were able to find some offensive rhythm their next possession, however, thanks to some key pickups by wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

That led to a sneaky 36-yard touchdown run by running back Raheem Mostert on 3rd-and-8, when the Packers defense was guessing pass:

After that, it was the Niners defense's turn to respond, which it did by sacking quarterback Aaron Rodgers via defensive lineman Nick Bosa, forcing a punt.

San Francisco was able to work its own offense deep into Green Bay territory again. This, after Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark went low on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's knee, getting flagged for an unnecessary roughness call. And while the Packers sacked Garoppolo on third down shortly after, the drive at least netted a 54-yard field goal by kicker Robbie Gould to put the 49ers up 10-0 early in the second quarter.

The 49ers got to Rodgers again on Green Bay's first possession of the second quarter, as cornerback K'Waun Williams forced a fumble on a strip sack for a loss of 15 yards. The Packers recovered the third-down loose ball, yet the subsequent punt went just 23 yards to start the Niners out on Green Bay's 37-yard line. And just like San Francisco's divisional-round win over the Minnesota Vikings a week ago, the ground game continued to prove worthy. At the 9:33 mark of the second quarter, the Niners already had 92 rush yards. Although running back Tevin Coleman suffered what looked to be a right arm injury, requiring the cart to take him back to the locker room.

Mostert then avenged the loss with a 9-yard touchdown run, putting San Francisco up 17-0:

The 49ers subbed in some defenders their next stand, which worked into Niners territory before Rodgers fumbled a snap from under center. Buckner recovered it, giving San Francisco yet another offensive opportunity in what had been a one-sided first half up to that point. Mostert then received a handoff shortly after the turnover for a 34-yard gain to get the ball into Packers territory with just over five minutes remaining before the half.

Mostert would account for 160 of San Francisco's 225 all-purpose yards in the first two quarters, adding those three touchdowns.

The 49ers weren't able to find end-zone pay dirt on this particular drive, ultimately settling for another field goal from Gould to make it 20-0. And not long afterwards, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley intercepted Rodgers for the Niners' second takeaway of the first half:

Rodgers had tossed only four interceptions during the regular season, and Moseley's pick ensured Green Bay would remain shut out for the first two quarters. Getting the ball back after the turnover also turned into Mostert's third touchdown run of the half with his 18-yard score to make it 27-0.

While the Packers will open up the second half on offense, this also bodes well for San Francisco's chances:

• Written by:
  Peter Panacy
  Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
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