Turnaround puts 49ers in good company

The 49ers, a four-win team last season, are in the NFC Championship Game.

And that means they’re also in historic company: They are one of six teams to reach a conference title game after winning fewer than five games the previous season since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.

According to research by The Chronicle’s Mike Massa, 32 of the 200 teams to reach the conference title game over the past 50 seasons have had a losing record the previous season.

Among those 32 teams, only the 1988 Bengals, 1996 Jaguars, 1999 Rams, 2006 Saints, 2017 Jaguars and 2019 49ers won fewer than five games the previous year.

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The 49ers can enter even more select company with a win Sunday over the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. Of the aforementioned teams, only the 1988 Bengals and 1999 Rams have reached the Super Bowl, and only the Rams won a title.

If the 49ers win the Super Bowl, they will also match the 1999 Rams for biggest win improvement (nine) by an NFL champion.

The 1999 Rams, like the 2019 49ers, went 13-3 after a 4-12 season.

• Teams to reach the conference championship game after winning fewer than five games the previous season:

2019 49ERS

2018 record: 4-12

2019 record: 13-3

2017 JAGUARS

2016 record: 3-13

2017 record: 10-6

2006 SAINTS

2005 record: 3-13

2006 record: 10-6

1999 RAMS

1998 record: 4-12

1999 record: 13-3

1996 JAGUARS

1995 record: 4-12

1996 record: 9-7

1988 BENGALS

1987 record: 4-11*

1988 record: 12-4

* Strike season

— Eric Branch