Jump on the 49ers bandwagon: Here’s everything you need to know for Sunday’s big game

The bandwagon is open. Hop aboard.

You might just be getting sucked into the San Francisco 49ers’ dream run through the playoffs. Maybe you’re new to the area and haven’t followed the 49ers; maybe you don’t much care for football but you’re interested in what all the hooplah is about.

We’ve got you covered like Ambry Thomas on Cooper Kupp. Don’t get the reference? No problem, let’s change that up a bit: We’ve got you covered like an umbrella on a rainy day. And we’ll explain that Thomas/Kupp reference.

You might have heard there’s a big game Sunday between the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. The winner will go to the Super Bowl. Let’s talk about how we got here, when it’s happening and how you can watch it.

How the 49ers got here

San Francisco started the season with three wins and five losses in its first eight games. That’s pretty bad. The problems were all over the place. In one game, the defense would play well but the offense wouldn’t score enough points. In another game, the offense would play well but the defense would give up too many touchdowns. And sometimes the 49ers were just unlucky; three of their losses were close games. San Francisco lost three times by a touchdown or less.

Then they got hot.

he 49ers won seven of their last nine games, including beating the L.A. Rams twice. Why was San Francisco suddenly good? There’s a lot of theories about that, but the biggest factor is probably this: The 49ers offense started scoring more points. The increased success probably has something to do with Deebo Samuel, the 49ers’ star receiver, who started being used as a running back during that stretch. He even threw for a touchdown. Samuel in six games against the Rams has 544 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns.

How the Rams got here

The Rams aren’t a local team so we won’t spend as much time with them. They built something of an all-star team. Before the season started, they traded for Matthew Stafford, the longtime star Detroit Lions quarterback. During the season, they traded for Von Miller, one of the best defensive players in the league. And they already had stars such as receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive lineman Aaron Donald. They lost three games in a row in the middle of the season but they were still one of the best teams in the NFC.

(For those dying to make sense of the Thomas-covering-Kupp reference up high in this story: Thomas, a 49ers defender, made an interception against the Rams in overtime of the final game of the season to get San Francisco into the playoffs.)

When and where is the NFC Championship game?

Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the Rams and the 49ers kicks off at 3:40 p.m. at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

How can I watch the game?

If you have cable or satellite service, this is an easy one. The game is on Fox40, the Sacramento-area Fox affiliate.

Paid streaming services, such as Hulu, YouTube TV and Sling, will also be streaming the game through the Fox channel.

After that, things get more creative. Maybe you sign up for a free trial of FuboTV and then cancel after the game. Maybe you try the Fox Sports streaming app, or Yahoo Sports or one of the NFL apps. NFLbite.com has a number of free streams, but it also has a million pop-up ads and stream qualities vary widely.

Where can I watch the 49ers and Rams play?

Well, the obvious answer is you’re welcome to travel to Los Angeles and pay more than $500 for a ticket to the game. But if you’ve made it this far into a guide for bandwagon fans, you’re likely not interested in that option. If you want to get out of the house and watch the game, the full gamut of options awaits you.

If coronavirus is a top concern, you might want to check out the SacYard in East Sacramento, which has two large outdoor TVs and an outdoor service window. The SacYard is primarily a beer bar, but there’s always a food truck on hand, with ciders, wine and sodas available. Kids and dogs are welcome, but it might be pretty hectic there Sunday.

If you don’t mind being indoors, Sacramento’s Public House Downtown will likely be jammed with fans watching the game on dozens of TVs. The restaurant has inventive takes on bar food (the wings are good, the nachos are better).

Lastly, you might want to check out Clubhouse 56 in East Sacramento. It has a big screen for viewing in a darkened side room, if you want to flash back to when big screen viewing in restaurants was a big deal.

When and where is the Super Bowl?

You’re getting a little ahead of yourself here, but that’s what being on the bandwagon is all about. Kudos to you for thinking ahead. The Super Bowl is Feb. 13 and it will be played on the Rams’ home field, SoFi Stadium, regardless of who wins Sunday’s game. It was planned as the host site years ago. The game will kick off around 3:30 p.m.

Who will play in the Super Bowl?

The winner of the Rams-49ers game will face the winner of the AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs are the home team and are favored to win the game by a touchdown.

This story was originally published January 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Jump on the 49ers bandwagon: Here’s everything you need to know for Sunday’s big game."