RAHEEM MOSTERT RUSHED for four touchdowns as the San Francisco 49ers booked their place in the Super Bowl with a 37-20 demolition of the Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers advanced to a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs in Miami on 2 February after brutally exposing the feeble Green Bay defense with their running game.
Mostert, who finished with 220 yards, tormented the Packers throughout in front of a packed house at the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
It was another disappointing outing for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who once again fell short in his pursuit of a second career Super Bowl title.
The 49ers were dominant in every department, their run-oriented offense moving the ball at will and a fearsome defense led by rookie Nick Bosa choking the life out of Rodgers and the Packers.
San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was barely called upon for the 49ers in a one-sided first half, passing just six times as the Niners rushing game took over.
Mostert opened the scoring for the 49ers in the first quarter, rushing 36 yards for a touchdown on third down to cap an 89-yard scoring drive.
Robbie Gould extended the 49ers lead to 10-0 either side of Packers punts before San Francisco again went hunting for another touchdown.
Mostert again had little difficulty finding room to manoeuvre, diving over in the corner to make it 17-0.
The Packers’ offense finally managed to generate some momentum on their next drive, with Rodgers finding Jake Kumerow for a gain of 23 yards on the opening play of the drive.
A series of runs from Aaron Jones took the Packers up to the 49ers 25-yard line but disaster struck when Rodgers fumbled the snap at the line of scrimmage to gift San Francisco a turnover.
Gould added his second field goal to make it 20-0 soon afterwards and it got worse for Green Bay on their next possession when Rodgers was picked off by cornerback Emmanuel Moseley at the 38-yard line.
Mostert then carved his way through the wide open Packers defense once again for his third touchdown to leave the 49ers out of sight at 27-0.
The Packers finally got on the board with the opening drive of the third quarter when Rodgers found Jones with a nine-yard touchdown pass.
But hopes of a miraculous fightback faded when Mostert nabbed his fourth touchdown from 22 yards to put the Niners 34-7 ahead.
Green Bay closed the gap to 34-20 after touchdowns from Jones and Jace Sternberger to open the fourth quarter.
But the clock was working against the Packers and the 49ers closed out a comfortable win with Gould’s 42-yard field goal making it a three-score game at 37-20.
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