49ers Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk Credits Ladybug For Game-Saving Catch

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk made perhaps the biggest play of the NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and the Detroit Lions on Sunday, diving forward to snag a 51-yard pass from Brock Purdy at a crucial moment in the third quarter.

With 6:30 remaining in the quarter and the 49ers down two touchdowns, Purdy dropped back and fired a deep pass to Aiyuk that looked like it was going to get picked off by Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor. Aiyuk, however, reached up and appeared to deflect the pass to prevent the interception, and as Vildor toppled to the ground, the ball bounced off his helmet. Aiyuk tracked the ball and caught it as he hit the ground, rolling forward toward the end zone. Three plays later, the 49ers punched in a touchdown with a short pass from Purdy to Aiyuk (this time without the dramatics).

In his on-field interview after the 49ers' dramatic rally for a 34-31 win, Aiyuk gave credit for his catch to an unlikely source.

"Before the game, a ladybug landed on my shoe, and y'all know what that means," Aiyuk said. "So that's all I can say, because I don't know. I don't know. Just great luck. God was with us today, great win, bang-bang game, it's crazy."

Ladybugs are sometimes considered good luck, and when one lands on you, positive things are coming your way, according to some superstitions.

Aiyuk's parents joined him on the field and were roped into a second post-game interview.

"He came up big in the nick of time," his father exclaimed. "We're so happy. We're going to the Super Bowl."

After the game, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan credited Vildor for reading the play correctly as the Lions shut down a crossing route by 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

"The corner was aware of it, so he stayed on top. I was worried that it would be a pick when it's like that," Shanahan said. "Brock makes the right read, but then he launches it, and BA just did a hell of a job going up for it so it wasn't going to be a pick, and then he came down with a catch, which was huge."

"He's a baller," Purdy added. "That was clutch on his part."

Aiyuk told reporters postgame didn't think he should have been ruled down after he made the catch, and said Samuel had to pull him back into the huddle because he wanted credit for the touchdown.

He did, however, admit it was "lit" to see the highlight on his phone.

"It's just bang bang," he said. "You don't really realize until afterwards, even still now, I just finally got to my phone, but in the moment, just playing football whistle to whistle."

The 49ers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 after two comeback victories in the Divisional Round and NFC Championship.

"That's back-to-back weeks with wins that we weren't supposed to have apparently," Aiyuk said. "But just two gutty wins, two wins that show you the type of team we have—the mindset, the will that everybody has."