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San Francisco WR Brandon Aiyuk made an incredible circus catch during the NFC Championship Game against Detroit on Sunday that set up a 49ers score in the second half.
The wideout was surprised to see it land at No. 2 on the SportsCenter Top 10 list Monday morning, and he posted his live reaction online.
The play came in the third quarter with his team trailing by two touchdowns.
QB Brock Purdy heaved a deep ball in Aiyuk’s direction, which was first tipped by a Lions defender before finding its way into the pass catcher’s hands.
Going full extension, Aiyuk came down with a 51-yard reception to get the Niners inside the five-yard line. San Francisco would find the endzone a few plays later to cut the deficit to 24-17.
@nbcsportsauthentic Still processimg this catch 😅😮 (via @NFL) #sanfrancisco49ers #49ers #fttb #fyp #viral #foryou #brandonaiyuk #brockpurdy #nflplayoffs ♬ original sound – NBC Sports Bay Area & CA
The circus catch was one of the top plays of the weekend, but apparently not good enough to land at No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10.
That spot would go to Lamar Jackson, who caught a tipped pass of his own on a ball that was batted into the air by a Chiefs defensive lineman.
While the play displayed an incredible use of athleticism and instinct, Aiyuk didn’t believe it to be better than his reception. It also came in a losing effort and had little impact on the outcome of the contest.
Aiyuk’s, meanwhile, was crucial to the 49ers’ comeback effort.
Watching along with SportsCenter on Monday morning, he posted his reaction to being bested by Jackson on his Instagram story.
Brandon Aiyuk’s crazy catch didn’t make it to No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.
Aiyuk’s reaction to finding out what No. 1 was 😂pic.twitter.com/72bj6awjk0
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 29, 2024
While Aiyuk won’t get the honor of No. 1, he will get a chance to play in the Super Bowl. The 49ers will take on the Chiefs in Las Vegas as they look to land their first NFL title since 1994.