Sports Illustrated Special - Super Bowl LVI Commemorative (2022)

38

“That was a typical Jimmy throw that he makes every

game,” Weddle said. ‘You’re like, ‘That’s the one.’ And

that’s the one that we missed on.”

But the defense wouldn’t miss again. The Niners got

the ball after Gay’s go-ahead field goal at their own 25,

and two plays later it was third-and-13 with 1:19 to go,

and Garoppolo was in a desperate spot.

At the snap, Donald drove guard Daniel Brunskill

back into Garoppolo’s lap. Then, as Garoppolo bailed

from the pocket to his left, Donald disengaged from

Rams’ next drive with throws of eight yards to tight end

Kendall Blanton on a third-and-1 and 25 yards to Kupp

again on third-and-3 to position Gay for the go-ahead

30-yard field goal with 1:46 remaining.

Then it was time for Donald’s defense to take con-

trol. For the guys on the back end, it was also time to

atone for what had happened the series before—when

Garoppolo threw a potential pick, but the ball bounced

off Ramsey’s chest, and then Weddle missed a shot at

snagging the def lection when he slipped on the turf.

2022 SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS

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DONALD TOLD HIS TEAMMATES, “WE’RE GONNA PUT OUR FOOT
DOWN, PLAY FOR EACH OTHER, FIGHT TO THE BITTER END, FIGHT
FOR YOUR BROTHERS, EVERYTHING YOU GOT IN YOU.”