Sunday’s NFL championship slate was expected to be all about Tennessee Titans’ star Derrick Henry, but a lesser-known running back stole the show to guarantee a trip to Miami for Super Bowl 2020.
Raheem Mostert of the San Francisco 49ers had 29 carries for 220 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday’s NFC Championship against the Green Bay Packers, by far his most productive game to date.
The 49ers won 37-20 behind the undrafted Purdue product’s monstrous performance at home, which set up a 49ers-Chiefs Super Bowl showdown on Feb. 2.
Mostert became the third player to rush for three touchdowns and 150 yards in an AFC or NFC Conference Championship (since 1970), joining Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Emmitt Smith, ESPN reported.
The 27-year-old is in the middle of a breakout season for the 49ers, having rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games. He got his chance after injuries to teammates Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, and his previous single-game rushing-high came in December when he went off for 146 yards against the Baltimore Ravens.
Raheem MostertAPHe was part of the 49ers’ balanced rushing attack, which ranked second only to the Ravens during the regular season.
Before joining San Francisco, he failed to catch on with the Chicago Bears, Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. In college, Mostert played only sparingly until his senior season when he rushed for 529 yards.
Unsurprisingly, the 49ers were able to lock up Mostert on a bargain three-year, $8.7 million contract. The highest-paid running back in the NFL is Ezekiel Elliot, who signed a six-year, $90 million extension with the Cowboys last season.
Henry, meanwhile, struggled in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs, rushing for only 69 yards and one touchdown.



