AFC, NFC Championship Games

SI Staff | Jan 17, 2013

AFC, NFC Championship Games /

AFC, NFC Championship Games

Frank Gore

(<italics>Twenty shots from each game, starting with the NFC.</italics>) Frank Gore's second touchdown of the game, on this nine-yard run in the fourth quarter, gave the 49ers their first lead of the day and their ticket to the Super Bowl.

Frank Gore

Frank Gore celebrates with Vernon Davis and Colin Kaepernick on a day in which Gore ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

LaMichael James

LaMichael James scored one of the 49ers' three rushing touchdowns as San Francisco advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick completed 16 of 21 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown.

Aldon Smith, Ray McDonald

The 49ers held Jacquizz Rodgers and the Falcons to 81 yards rushing and no touchdowns.

Vernon Davis

The Falcons got burned repeatedly by Vernon Davis, who caught five balls for 106 yards and one touchdown.

Aldon Smith

Matt Ryan attempts to recover a fumbled snap while being pressured by Aldon Smith.

Michael Crabtree

Michael Crabtree continued to be one of Colin Kaepernick's favorite targets, catching a team-high six passes, albeit for just 57 yards.

Colin Kaepernick

Unlike in the divisional round, when he ran for a quarterback-record 181 yards, Colin Kaepernick ran only two times for 31 yards against the Falcons.

LaMichael James

The 49ers overcame a 17-0 deficit and ended up with 149 yards rushing against Atlanta.

Tony Gonzalez

In what might have been his last game in the NFL, Tony Gonzalez caught eight balls for 78 yards and one touchdown.

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick tries to hang onto the ball while being tackled by Stephen Nicholas (54) and Kroy Biermann.

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns, but also was intercepted once and lost a fumble.

Julio Jones

Julio Jones had a monster game, hauling in 11 balls for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

Julio Jones

The Falcons were in full celebration mode in the first half, when they jumped to a 17-0 lead.

Michael Turner

Michael Turner had 30 yards rushing in the early goings, but left with an ankle injury and didn't return.

Roddy White

Roddy White had 100 yards receiving on seven catches, but Tarell Brown and the 49ers kept him out of the end zone.

Roddy White

Roddy White's longest catch of the day was for 23 yards.

Julio Jones

Julio Jones and the Falcons scored 24 points in the first half but were shut out in the second.

49ers Sideline

The 49ers sideline started celebrating their Super Bowl berth after the Falcons were turned back in the final minute.

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco threw for three touchdowns in leading the Ravens to their first Super Bowl in 12 years. He's the only QB in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons.

Anquan Boldin

Anquan Boldin was on the receiving end of two of Flacco's touchdown passes. This three-yarder at the back of the end zone gave the Ravens a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter.

Anquan Boldin

Two of Boldin's five catches were for touchdowns. His second one put Baltimore up 28-13.

Ray Rice

Ray Rice had 70 yards of total offense and scored on a two-yard run to put Baltimore up 7-3.

Dennis Pitta

Dennis Pitta made some tough catches against the Patriots en route to finishing with 55 yards and one touchdown.

Bernard Pierce

Bernard Pierce and Ray Rice combined for 100 yards rushing against New England.

Tom Brady

The Ravens came up with two interceptions against Brady, who has now thrown 10 in his career against Baltimore, against just eight touchdowns.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady and the Patriots had never lost an AFC title game at home and were 67-0 in games in which they led at the half. Both marks came to an end on Sunday.

Stevan Ridley

Stevan Ridley's lost fumble on a massive hit by Bernard Pollard in the fourth quarter basically ended the game for the Patriots.

Wes Welker

Wes Welker caught eight balls for 117 yards and one touchdown, but as in Super Bowl XLVI, he had at least one third-down conversion pass attempt go off his hands.

Bernard Pollard, Brandon Lloyd

Bernard Pollard had nine tackles and helped keep the Patriots off the scoreboard in the second half.

John Harbaugh, Ray Rice

Coach John Harbaugh and Ray Rice could sense midway through the fourth quarter that they weren't going to experience a second consecutive AFC title game loss in Foxboro.

Dannell Ellerbe

Dannell Ellerbe caught a deflected Tom Brady pass in the second half for an interception.

John Harbaugh, Ed Reed

John Harbaugh and Ed Reed congratulate each other for a job well done.

Wes Welker, Terrell Suggs

Like most of the Ravens, this will be Terrell Suggs' first Super Bowl.

Brandon Lloyd

Brandon Lloyd had 70 yards receiving but no touchdowns against the Ravens. Brady attempted 54 passes and completed 29.

Aaron Hernandez

With Rob Gronkowski out with a fractured arm, fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez did his part to keep the chains moving, finishing with nine receptions for 83 yards.

Joe Flacco

With his three touchdowns on Sunday, Joe Flacco has thrown for eight touchdowns in this season's playoffs, with no interceptions.

Ray Rice

A strong contingent of Baltimore fans were in the stadium Sunday night and Ray Rice wasn't shy abut celebrating with them.

Ravens celebration

John Harbaugh helped lead a raucous and well-deserved celebration in the locker room.

Published Jan 17, 2013

SI STAFF