It's time to pack your bags, Faithful! The San Francisco 49ers are headed to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in the NFC Championship. The team punched their ticket to their third conference championship in four years with a 19-12 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round.
Sunday's win was a defensive battle through and through with 609 of total offensive yards between both teams and both sides limiting each other to a single touchdown. The rest of the points in this contest were netted via the kicking game, and when you've got Robbie Gould kicking for you, you know you're in good hands. The veteran kicker sunk all five of his kicks, four of which were field goals from 26, 28, 47 and 50 yards out.
Defensively, the 49ers showed their ability to disrupt opposing offenses and create turnovers, intercepting Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott twice in the Divisional Round game. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir started things off with a pick during Dallas' first offensive series, and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner notched another interception later in the first half. The 49ers were able to turn their extra possessions into a total of six points off of two of Gould's field goals. Another big reason for the slips up by Prescott also has to do with the impressive play from the 49ers defensive front, who had 18 total pressures in this game. Defensive linemen Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa accounted for more than half of those 18 pressures, racking up five a piece.
Here are San Francisco's top performers from the NFC Divisional Round:
Top Offensive Performer: Spencer Burford
The 49ers rookie solidified his spot as a starter after standing out in training camp and the preseason, and Burford came away with the highest mark of San Francisco offensive players taking significant snaps. Burford earned a 78.5 overall grade, a season-high for the rookie, for his 32 snaps at the right guard position. He allowed just one pressure in his 15 pass blocking snaps.
Top Defensive Performers: Jimmie Ward and Fred Warner
Defensive back Jimmie Ward topped all of San Francisco's defensive performers playing significant snaps against the Cowboys. The longest tenured 49ers player graded out to an 89.4 in his 42 snaps. He closed out the day with five total tackles and was targeted nine times, allowing just 44 yards on seven catches.
All-Pro Fred Warner struck again in this game, notching an interception, recording a team-high nine total tackles and was targeted four times, allowing just two catches for 15 yards. The veteran linebacker earned an 86.0 overall mark in 61 snaps.
"Niners linebacker Fred Warner put on an outstanding display against the Cowboys and will likely come out of reviews with an 85.0-plus PFF grade," PFF staff wrote in their game recap. "He was targeted five times in coverage but gave up just two receptions for 15 yards. He snagged an interception, didn't give up a single first down and added a team-leading three run stops for good measure."
