Jan 11, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Tevin Coleman (26) runs the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter in a NFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Levi’s Stadium. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
January 12, 2020
(Reuters) – Tevin Coleman rushed for two short touchdowns and with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo leading the way, the San Francisco 49ers ground down the Minnesota Vikings to win their divisional playoff game 27-10 on Saturday.
The victory sends the 49ers against the winner of Sunday’s Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks game in San Francisco for the National Football Conference title on Jan. 19. The Super Bowl is Feb. 2 in Miami.
The top-seeded 49ers never trailed, their aggressive defense holding the Vikings to 21 yards rushing and 147 total yards. They had only seven first downs as Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins could not get untracked.
Garoppolo hit Kendrick Bourne with a three-yard touchdown pass for the 49ers’ opening score.
Minnesota tied it on Cousins’ 41-yard pass to Stefon Diggs but Coleman’s first touchdown, a one-yarder, put San Francisco ahead 14-7.
The teams traded field goals before the 49ers put the game out of reach 24-10 on Coleman’s two-yard run after Richard Sherman’s interception of Cousin.
Robbie Gold’s second field goal for San Francisco, which covered 21 yards ended the scoring at 27-10.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
