SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Blowing a 10-point lead put an end to the 49ers two previous playoff appearances, the result of fourth-quarter collapses in the 2019 season’s Super Bowl and last year’s NFC Championship Game.
For a change, the 49ers let a 10-0 lead evaporate before halftime of Saturday’s playoff debut, then they rallied to dispatch the Seattle Seahawks, 41-23, in their wild-card opener.
A second-half surge allowed the No. 2-seed 49ers (14-4) to recapture the lead, their confidence and their momentum. They’ll take an 11-game win streak into next weekend’s divisional round, where they’ll host either the No. 2 Minnesota Vikings, the No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the No. 5 Dallas Cowboys.
