Punters who backed favourites San Francisco 49ers to win Sunday’s NFC Championship will have much to thank Raheem Mostert for.
Yes, the same Dominque Raheem Mostert, who was cut by six other NFL teams before the 49ers finally found how best to utilise his glorious talents
The 27-year-old running back was the shining spearhead of the 49ers’ 37-20 NFC Championship victory over Green Bay Packers.
The 5ft 10in 205 lb former schoolboy track star rushed for 220 yards in running in all four of San Francisco’s touchdowns. And it sent San Francisco charging joyfully into the Super Bowl showdown against Kansas City Chiefs on February 2.
It will be the 49ers first Super Bowl appearance since 2012.
The Chiefs, also match favourites, earlier on Sunday beat the Tennessee Titans 35-24. It earned them the AFC title and finally put a stop to the NFL’s most dangerous play-off underdogs. Prior to this game the Titans had shocked football by eliminating both the mighty Patriots and the rampant Ravens.
Garoppolo passed just eight times for 4 touch downs
‘Niners’ Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw just eight times for his 77 yards and four TD passes at Levi’s Stadium. This because San Francisco relied heavily on their ground game after Mostert’s blistering three first-half touch downs had given them a 27-0 lead.
Aaron Rodgers was able to guide Green Bay back to within striking distance in the 2nd half. However the 49ers never looked like losing.
They should go on to the Super Bowl with their confidence sky high, though they may have some concern about Tevin Coleman. He injured a shoulder on Sunday and sat on the sidelines for the entire second half.
Meanwhile match star Mostert finished the game as the only player in NFL history to record 200 or more rush yards and at least four TDs in a playoff clash.
He began his star performance in ominous fashion, rushing 36 yards to put the 49ers ahead with just under six minutes left on the clock in the first quarter.
Mostert scored twice more either side of two field goals by Robbie Gould before the Packers finally got on the board. This was when Aaron Jones ran in after catching a Rodgers pass to complete a 10-play drive.
Mostert got fourth TD five minutes into 3rd quarter
Unstoppable Mostert, however, continued to take his team forward. His fourth TD, inside the final five minutes of the third quarter, again stretched the margin to 27 points.
There was time left for a second Jones score and one from Jace Sternberger to reduce the deficit to 14 points in the fourth, but another Gould field goal and a late Richard Sherman pick made sure of San Francisco’s triumph.
After an excellent regular season, the 49ers will now hope to seize the Vince Lombardi Trophy for a matching record sixth time when they take on the Chiefs in Miami.
But they won’t do it as the favourites of the New Jersey sports betting industry. On Monday, typical of most New Jersey sportsbooks, William Hill sportsbook had the Chiefs as their narrow favourites.
Their money line odds were: Chiefs -120, 49ers +100. 53.5 was the key number in their totals odds.
THE NFC IS OURS. #BeLegendary pic.twitter.com/zAQzUVIbud
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) 20 January 2020