NFC Championship Game What To Look For - A Look Back

CLOSE GAMES: No. 2 seed SAN FRANCISCO (13-4-1) defeated No. 1 seed ATLANTA (14-4)28-24 in yesterday’s NFC Championship Game in Atlanta to advance to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. It marked the sixth consecutive NFC Championship Game to be decided by seven points or fewer, the longest streak in conference championship game history. 

The past six NFC Championship Games to finish within seven points or fewer: 

-- NFC Championship --

POSTSEASON SUCCESS: SAN FRANCISCO advanced to its sixth Super Bowl yesterday with a 28-24 victory over Atlanta and tied DENVER (six) for the fourth-most Super Bowl appearances in NFL history.

The 49ers have won all five of their Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX) and have the fourth-most postseason wins in NFL history (28).

The teams with the most Super Bowl appearances in NFL history:

-- NFC Championship --

WINNING FORMULA: San Francisco head coach JIM HARBAUGH has compiled a 27-8-1 (.764) record in his first two seasons (including postseason), leading his team to two NFC West titles, consecutive NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl berth. 

Harbaugh became the fifth head coach since 1970 to reach the conference championship game in each of his first two seasons, joining DON MC CAFFERTY, REX RYAN, GEORGE SEIFERT and BARRY SWITZER.

With the 49ers win over Atlanta on Sunday, Harbaugh (27) tied STEVE MARIUCCI (27) for the third-most victories by a head coach in his first two seasons in NFL history (including playoffs). 

The head coaches to reach the conference championship in each of their first two seasons since 1970:

The head coaches with the most wins in their first two seasons in NFL history (including playoffs):

-- NFC Championship --

NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED: San Francisco quarterback COLIN KAEPERNICK led the 49ers to a 28-24 win over Atlanta and has a 7-2 career record as a starter, including the postseason.

With Kaepernick starting on Sunday, San Francisco became the first team since WASHINGTON in 1986-1987(JAY SCHROEDER in 1986; DOUG WILLIAMS in 1987) to start different quarterbacks in consecutive conference championship games. Nine teams have started different quarterbacks in consecutive conference championship games since the merger.

With the start, Kaepernick (seven) tied PAT HADEN (seven) for the fourth-fewest regular season starts by a starting quarterback in an NFC-AFC Championship Game. JEFF HOSTETLER of the New York Giants only had four regular season starts before the 1990 NFC Championship Game.

The quarterbacks with the fewest regular-season starts entering an NFC-AFC Championship Game: