Montana

Live NFC Championship updates: 49ers face Lions with Super Bowl berth on the line

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2024

Live NFC Championship updates: 49ers face Lions with Super Bowl berth on the line

The 49ers take on the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon in the NFC Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium, and the winner will head to Las Vegas in two weeks for Super Bowl LVIII.

Three hundred sixty-four days after the 49ers missed saw last season’s Super Bowl hopes go down the drain when Brock Purdy was injured in Philadelphia, they have a fresh chance at glory.

Deebo Samuel was limited in practice early this week after injuring his shoulder in last week’s divisional-round win over the Packers, but he was listed as healthy Friday on the final injury report for the week, and he is active Sunday.

Follow along for live updates throughout the game.

Pregame: The 49ers will send Joe Montana out for the coin toss as an honorary captain, and the Lions will counter with Barry Sanders. Last week, the Packers won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball first, kicking a field goal on their opening drive.

Below are our notes from before kickoff.

SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk offered a poignant and self-aware response this week when asked if the 49ers are rallying to get 14-year veteran Trent Williams to his first Super Bowl.

“I’ve never been to the Super Bowl,” Aiyuk said. “I’m trying to get to the Super Bowl.”

As playoff-tested as the 49ers for their third straight NFC Championship Game and fourth in five years, their star-studded offense carries over just three starters from their 2019 team’s Super Bowl appearance: tight end George Kittle, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

Defensively, a majority of their starters have Super Bowl experience: defensive linemen Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Javon Hargrave (on 2022 Eagles); linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw; cornerback Charvarius Ward (on 2019-20 Chiefs); and, safety Logan Ryan (2014, ’16 Patriots).

Beating the Lions in today’s 3:30 p.m. kickoff would send the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII, held Feb. 11 in the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, which is where the 49ers made their preseason debut in August.

The Lions are among the four NFL franchises that have not reached a Super Bowl. Their last road playoff victory came in 1957 against the host 49ers at Kezar Stadium; the Lions went on to beat the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game.

TODAY’S HONORARY STARTERS

Safety Talanoa Hufanga will sound the ceremonial pregame foghorn before kickoff. Hufanga sustained a season-ending knee injury in the 49ers’ November win here against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has kept a low profile since then, although a player of the game continues to receive a kukui-nut necklace that Hufanga’s given out in recent seasons.

Talanoa Hufanga will ignite the pregame foghorn at Levi’s Stadium for today’s NFC Championship Game vs 49ers and Lions
Hufanga sustained torn ACL in win here vs Bucs in November and has kept low profile since then, although a player-of-game gets his kukui-nut necklace weekly pic.twitter.com/mPu08nOJvX
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 28, 2024

Today’s honorary captains are the 49ers’ and Lions’ franchise icons and Pro Football Hall of Fame members: Joe Montana and Barry Sanders.

The halftime entertainment is Journey, and if pregame sound checks are any sign, one song could be “Don’t Stop Believin’”.

“Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit … .” Don’t be surprised if the opening lyrics referencing South Detroit are changed to San Francisco at the home crowd’s delight.

WHO’S OUT

Designated as inactive for the 49ers are cornerback Samuel Womack III, wide receiver Ronnie Bell, wide receiver Willie Snead, linebacker Jalen Graham, quarterback Brandon Allen, linebacker Curtis Robinson and offensive lineman Matt Pryor.

Inactive for the Lions are cornerback Steven Gilmore, defensive lineman Charles Harris, quarterback Hendon Hooker, guard Jonah Jackson, defensive lineman Broderic Martin, wide receiver Kalif Raymond and safety Tracey Walker.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 2, 2026

Published

33 minutes ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 2 drawing

06-12-19-29, Bonus: 11

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Apparent AI Glitch in Filing by Montana Public Defender, Recent Congressional Candidate

Everyone makes mistakes, even experienced professionals; a good reminder for the rest of us to learn from those mistakes. The motion in State v. Stroup starts off well in its initial pages (no case law hallucinations), but is then followed by several pages of two other motions, which I don’t think the lawyer was planning to file, and which appear to have been AI-generated: It begins with the “Below is concise motion language you can drop into …” language quoted above.

Griffen Smith (Missoulian) reported on the story, and included the prosecutor’s motion to strike that filing, on the grounds that it violates a local rule (3(G)) requiring disclosure of the use of generative AI:

The document does not include a generative artificial intelligence disclosure as required. However, page 7 begins as follows: “Below is concise motion language you can drop into a ‘Motion to Admit Mental-Disease Evidence and for Related Instructions’ keyed to 45-6-204, 45-6-201, and 4614-102. Adjust headings/captions to your local practice.” Page 10 states “Below is a full motion you can paste into your pleading, then adjust names, dates, and styles to fit local practice.” These pages also include several apparent hyperlinks to “ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws,” “ppl-ai-fileupload.s3.amazonaws+1,” and others. The document includes what appears to be an attempt at a second case caption on page 12. It is not plausible on its face that any source other than generative AI would have created such language for a filed version of a brief….

There’s more in that filing, but here’s one passage:

While generative AI can be a useful tool for some purposes and may have greater application in the future, when used improperly, and without meaningful review, it can ultimately damage both the perception and the reality of the profession. One assumes that Mr. Stroup has had, or will at some point have, an opportunity to review the filing made on his behalf. What impression could a review of pgs. 12-19 leave upon a defendant who struggles with paranoia and delusional thinking? While AI could theoretically one day become a replacement for portions of staff of experienced attorneys, it is readily apparent that this day has not yet arrived.

The Missoulan article includes this response:

In a Wednesday interview, Office of Public Defender Division Administrator Brian Smith told the Missoulian the AI-generated language was inadvertently included in an unrelated filing. And he criticized the county attorney’s office for filing a “four-page diatribe about the dangers of AI” instead of working with the defense to correct her mistake.
“That’s not helping the client or the case,” Smith said, “and all you are doing is trying to throw a professional colleague under the bus.”

As I mentioned, the lawyer involved seems quite experienced, and ran for the Montana Public Service Commission in 2020 (getting nearly 48% of the vote) and for the House of Representatives in Montana’s first district in 2022 (getting over 46% of the vote) and in 2024 (getting over 44%). “Его пример другим наука,” Pushkin wrote in Eugene Onegin—”May his example profit others,” in the Falen translation.

Thanks to Matthew Monforton for the pointer.

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