The upcoming NFC Championship game has been simulated using retro technology. The game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers doesn’t happen until Sunday night, but we are getting a glimpse of how things might go via a computer simulation on the old Nintendo Tecmo Super Bowl video game.
A Lions fan took the popular 1991 game and created an updated version of it with current rosters and attributes and then had the computer play the game. Here’s how it played out.
Both teams struggled to start with the Lions taking a sack on the first drive and being forced to punt. Lions linebacker, Jack Campbell, return the favor, sacking Brock Purdy, forcing San Fran to kick it right back.
Detroit then marched down the field, led by Jared Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs, before Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown in the end zone for the first touchdown to put Detroit up 7-0 after the extra point.
The 49ers answered right back. Following a long run by Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for the diving touchdown catch to tie the game at 7.
Detroit went right back down the field and the drive was capped off by a David Montgomery touchdown. He broke some tackles on the short yardage score to put Detroit up 14-7.
The 49ers answered again as Purdy hit Deebo Samuel and McCaffrey for long gains before finding Aiyuk again for the touchdown to tie the game. A fluke safety right before the half put San Fran up 16-14.
Purdy found George Kittle for a long touchdown pass to start the second half, putting the 49ers up by two scores, 23-14. But the Lions answered right back. Goff with a couple of nice passes to St. Brown, including his second touchdown catch of the game, brought the Lions back within 2.
The offenses then stalled with three punts in a row before the game was put in the hands of Goff and the Lions. Detroit still trailed by two in the 4th as Goff orchestrated a game-winning drive. The Lions went 70 yards, capped off with a Montgomery touchdown run to put the Lions up by 5 with under a minute to go.
San Francisco couldn’t do anything with the short clock and the Lions won the Tecmo Super Bowl computer simulated game, 28-23. Goff threw for 225 yards and 2 scores. St. Brown had 4 catches for 128 yards and two TDs and Gibbs lead Detroit in rushing with 36 yards. The Lions defense held McCaffrey to just 45 yards on the ground.
