Wow. Just… wow. I’m sure that was the reaction of just
about everyone watching the Saints/49ers NFC Divisional Playoff Game, including
myself.
49ers fans waited nine years to see their team back in
the playoffs and they were craving a victory… but no one could have predicted
it would happen like it did.
Games like this remind me why I love football. From the
Saints overcoming three first quarter turnovers to the 49ers offense answering
both of New Orleans' go-ahead touchdowns, this game had everything necessary to
be deemed a classic and the game’s conclusion had not only Saints and Niners
fans, but football fans across the country on the edge of their seat.
After going down 24-23 with 4:02 remaining, the 49ers did
not let up. Alex Smith followed with the longest rushing touchdown in
postseason history by a 49ers Quarterback. After they couldn’t convert the
two-point conversion, Drew Brees connected with Tight End Jimmy Graham for a
66-yard touchdown less than a minute later. As the 49ers drove down the field,
it seemed as if they were fine tying the game with a field goal and heading
into overtime, but they weren’t. Smith connected with Vernon Davis for the game-winning
score with nine seconds remaining. One of the top tight ends in the league, Davis
was overwhelmed with emotion. He jogged off the field in tears, as the city of
San Francisco joined him. Long gone are the days of Joe Montana and Steve
Young, the San Francisco dynasty, but this team has won the hearts of a city
longing for another chance to call themselves Super Bowl Champions.
Smith, the 2005 #1 overall pick, has dealt with his fair
share of criticism the past seven years. People saw him as a failure who would
never fulfill his potential. In his rookie season, his Touchdown-to-Interception
ratio was 1:11. He played with seven offensive coordinators in seven seasons
and first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh is the best thing that could have ever
happened to him. His confidence was restored and his game improved. Today was
his opportunity to show the critics that he is not the same QB he was before
this season and he made sure to impress, rushing for a touchdown and sporting a
103.2 Quarterback rating, throwing for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Brees threw for 461 yards and 4 touchdowns, two in the
final four minutes of the game, but that was not enough as the Saints could not
overcome their early turnovers and the 49ers would not let them win.
When the Saints scored to go up 24-23, it was a test for
the Niners. It was their first time trailing all game with little time to play.
They answered. When Graham caught his 66-yard touchdown pass, the Saints got
the two point conversion and the 49ers got the ball back with1:37 to play, it
was the test. They not only passed,
they aced it. The 49ers waited too long. Smith fought through too much adversity.
Davis showed from the start of the game that he was not going to accept defeat.
He didn’t have to, and now he’s in the history books. The 49ers are headed to
the NFC Title game after winning a game that will surely be talked about for
years and deservingly so… it was an instant classic.
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