Thefowlballs

49ers Strike Gold but Biggest Jackpot Remains

The San Francisco 49ers hit the jackpot in the NFC divisional playoffs with a stirring comeback win over the New Orleans Saints in which the final game winning drive was the equivalent of hitting it big at cash bingo games as Alex Smith hit Vernon Davis with a 14 yard touchdown pass with 9 seconds to play to win the game.

What was so sensational about the game was that the 49ers looked to have won it with 2:11 to go on a 4th down bootleg by Smith in which he ran 28 yards for the TD. But New Orleans struck back with a 66 yard TD pass from Drew Brees to Jimmy Graham just 34 seconds later to appear to have stolen the game from the 49ers.

The great irony of the game was that it was Smith rather than Brees who was the comeback hero quarterback in the great 49ers tradition of John Brodie and Joe Montana. The fact that Smith engineered the comeback made for even longer odds like a big jackpot in cash bingo games.

The big challenge remains however as the 49ers will host the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. In a way that was another lucky break for the 49ers as New York upset the Green Bay Packers on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field 37-20. The Giants and 49ers met at Candlestick Park once already this year as San Francisco scored a 27-20 win.

Although the Giants were strong defensively in their win at Green Bay that does not mean they are a consistent Big Blue powerhouse of the Bill Parcells and Lawrence Taylor glory years. In fact, the Giants ranked 27th in the NFL for total defense and 25th for points allowed. What has been most impressive about the G-Men has been quarterback Eli Manning, who came into his own down the stretch with clutch performances in the must win regular season finale over the Dallas Cowboys, the playoff win over the Atlanta Falcons, and the big upset over Green Bay in which he outplayed the more highly touted Aaron Rodgers.

Defense is likely not to be a problem for the 49ers as they ranked 4th overall for total defense and 2nd in the NFL for points allowed. The San Francisco offense was plodding in nature but did feature the NFL’s 8th ranked rushing attack. Smith may not have put up monster numbers but he was highly effective within the system.

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