NFL on Nickelodeon: 49ers top Cowboys 23-17 in thrilling, slime-filled Wild Card broadcast

San Francisco held off a late Dallas scoring effort to advance to the divisional round, but Dak Prescott came away with the NVP

The rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys is legendary, and the latest installment was exactly that as well. San Francisco topped Dallas, 23-17, in a game that looked over early but proved to be anything but during a thrilling fourth quarter.  
With a minute remaining and Dallas having no timeouts, 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel looked to have sealed the game with an 11-yard rush on third-and-10. But after review, he was deemed a yard short, forcing a punt. 

Dallas then had 32 seconds to drive the length of the field and potentially win the game. Quarterback Dak Prescott completed passes to Cedrick Wilson, Tony Pollard and Dalton Schultz before gaining 17 on a late rushing attempt. After the rush, which put Dallas at San Francisco's 24-yard line, Prescott couldn't spike the ball in time to get another play off, sending the 49ers to the Divisional Round. 

San Francisco jumped to a 16-7 first half lead thanks to a rushing touchdown from Elijah Mitchell and three field goals from Robbie Gould. It proved to be an insurmountable lead. 

The 2022 NFL Wild Card game on Nickelodeon brought a ton of kid-focused content in addition to the thrilling on-field product. Here's some of what the family-friendly broadcast had to offer:  

Despite the loss, Prescott won the NVP – the game's most valuable player award – with 81% of the vote. Prescott finished 23-43 for 254 yards with a touchdown and an interception to go along with his rushing touchdown. This makes it two-straight Wild Card NVPs to losing quarterbacks, as then-Chicago Bears starter Mitch Trubisky won the inaugural award after a loss to the New Orleans Saints a season ago. 

This NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon followed its wildly successful 2021 debut, the first ever NFL broadcast geared toward kids and families. The 2021 game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears was Nickelodeon's most-watched program in nearly four years and won two Sports Emmys. 

With the win, San Francisco will play the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round at Lambeau Field next week. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:59 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Dallas tried to spike the ball with a second remaining, but it couldn't do it on time. 49ers win, 23-17. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:54 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Garoppolo converts the QB sneak for a first down, but a penalty negates the play. Dallas now has a shot with 0:32 remaining and no timeouts. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:52 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is officially the NVP with 81% of the vote. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:49 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Officials are now signaling a fourth down for San Francisco. Samuel was just shy of a game-sealing first down. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:49 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

The announcers are now donning slime helmets in anticipation of the post-game slime. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:47 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

49ers WR Deebo Samuel looks to be just short of the first-down marker on a third-down rushing attempt. The play is under review. If the officials confirm Samuel got the first down, it's game over for Dallas.

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:38 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Prescott can't hit a streaking Cedrick Wilson on a fourth-and-11 passing attempt, turning the downs over to San Francisco with less than two minutes to go. Dallas has all three timeouts, so it has a chance at another possession. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:34 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Dallas down six, 23-17, with the ball at the 49ers' 47-yard line. Time to see if Prescott plays up to his NVP voting. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:21 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Prescott is currently leading the NVP vote at 84%, per the broadcast. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:20 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott scrambles for a five-yard rushing touchdown to reduce his team's deficit to six, and Sandy from "SpongeBob SquarePants" celebrated the play with a "yeehaw." 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:13 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Dallas CB Anthony Brown picks off 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, setting Dallas up in San Francisco territory down 13. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:11 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

49ers TE George Kittle snags his first catch of the game, an 18-yarder, and immediately has his measurables compared to Patrick, SpongeBob and Plankton from "SpongeBob SquarePants." 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:06 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Dallas reaches double digits – and garners another smile from SpongeBob – thanks to a 51-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein. A 16-yard, fake-punt pass from Bryan Anger to C.J. Goodwin kept the drive alive. San Francisco still up big, 23-10. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 7:04 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Gabrielle Nevaeh Green shows off her Cardi B and Beyonce impressions, and Nate Burleson responds with a Jay Z impression of his own.

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:54 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

2022 NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon analyst Nate Burleson reveals his favorite pizza topping is pineapple, drawing criticism from his boothmates. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:51 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Young Dylan says 49ers WR Deebo Samuel (82 total yards, rushing TD) is "going crazy" and will vote him for NVP. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:44 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

On the very first play after Williams' interception, Samuel rushes to the endzone from 26 yards out to extend San Francisco's lead to 16. Samuel outran two Dallas secondary defenders on the play, earning the flames the Nick-ified replay gave him. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:40 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

49ers cornerback K'Waun Williams picks off a Dak Prescott pass intended for Cedrick Wilson, and the Nick-ified replay celebrated the play with fireworks. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:34 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

AT&T Stadium introduced a delicacy Bikini Bottom knows well. The Nickelodeon broadcast showed someone selling Krabby Patties from the show "SpongeBob SquarePants" after the 49ers punted to Dallas. 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:28 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Voting for the NVP is now open here.  Some early candidates: 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (57 yards, TD), 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (four catches, 67 yards), 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo (11-15, 133 yards). 

[Jan 16, 2022 at 6:22 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Not even the NFL's all-time leading rusher is safe from slime, as Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith gets (virtually) doused by the green substance in his luxury box.