San Francisco’s return to the postseason could not have been more dramatic and exciting, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints 36-32 to advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1997.

On New Orleans’ first drive of the game it seemed business as usual for the Saints. The offense marched 78 yards downfield, helped by a 23-yard pass interference call on SS Donte Whitner, and had a 3^rd and 6 at San Francisco’s 7-yard line. QB Drew Brees passed to RB Pierre Thomas, when Donte Whitner administered a hard hit to cause a fumble, which was recovered by RILB Patrick Willis. The Niners could not capitalize on this turnover and had to punt eventually.

San Francisco was more successful on their next drive. Starting at their own 46-yard line, it took the Niners two plays and a 49-yard pass to TE Vernon Davis to score the first touchdown of the game.

FS Dashon Goldson intercepted Drew Brees on New Orleans’ following drive and carried the ball to their 4-yard line. After two incompletions QB Alex Smith found WR Michael Crabtree for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

S Madieu Williams tackled WR Courtney Roby on the ensuing kick-off and LB Blake Costanzo recovered the fumble at New Orleans’ 13-yard line. The Saints’ red zone defense made a successful stand and the 49ers had to settle for a 25-yard field goal from David Akers at the start of the second quarter.

New Orleans needed to respond and they needed to do it fast. The Saints were in 49ers territory after a 20-yard catch from WR Marques Colston. 6 plays later Drew Brees found TE Jimmy Graham for a 14-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10.

The Saints got the ball back after a 49ers three-and-out and scored again. Starting at their own 39-yard line, it took Drew Brees 7 plays to find Marques Colston for a 25-yard touchdown and a score of 17-14.

The Saints couldn’t make it three scores in a row. Instead, CB Tarell Brown intercepted Drew Brees for the MVP-candidate’s second pick of the game.

The final two minutes of the first half saw three changes of possession but no more scores. Alex Smith lost a fumble after a sack from LB Martez Wilson but it didn’t leave the Saints with enough time to score before half time.

Although the Niners had to punt on the opening possession of the second half they basically kept the drive alive. Punter Andy Lee kicked the ball 57 yards and Blake Costanzo forced a fumble, with S Colin Jones recovering the loose ball at New Orleans’ 27-yard line. The Niners could only gain 3 yards and had to settle for a 41-yard field goal from David Akers to extend the lead to 20-14.

It was the only score in the third quarter but the final quarter of the game may have produced one of the greatest shows on grass ever.

The Saints started their drive at their own 34-yard line but it came to a halt at San Francisco’s 29-yard line. John Kasey made the field goal from 48 yards to cut the lead to 20-17.

The 49ers got the ball back after an exchange of threes-and out. The Niners were at New Orleans’ 22-yard line after a magnificent 42-yard run from RB Frank Gore. San Francisco entered the red zone on the next play but this was as far as they got. David Akers' 37-yard field goal made it 23-17 for the Niners.

The New Orleans Saints earned their first lead of the game on the next drive, when Drew Brees connected on a touchdown pass of 44 yards with RB Darren Sproles.

The Niners had a little over 4 minutes left to strike back. Vernon Davis caught a pass for 37 yards to New Orleans’ 30-yard line. San Francisco gained two more yards before Alex Smith took matters in his own hand and rushed for a 28-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion failed but the 49ers were back on top 29-24.

Drew Brees had 2:07 minutes left, but only needed 30 seconds to find Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown. The Saints successfully went for two points and took a 32-29 lead.

There were 1:32 minutes on the clock when San Francisco’s offense re-entered the field. Vernon Davis made another big play for 47 yards to get the Niners into field goal position. Moments later San Francisco had a 3^rd and 4 on New Orleans’ 14-yard line. Do you remember “The Catch” between Joe Montana and Dwight Clark from 30 years ago? If you watched yesterday’s game you witnessed “The Grab”. With 14 seconds to go Alex Smith found Vernon Davis who caught the pass on the edge of the end zone and fell backwards for the game-winning touchdown. The 49ers secured a 36-32 win over the favored New Orleans Saints.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 24 of 42 passes for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns and a passer rating of 103.2.

Vernon Davis caught 7 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 180 yards are an NFL record for a tight end in a single postseason game.

San Francisco converted only 27% of third downs.

The 49ers were outsacked 4-3.

The Niners allowed Drew Brees to pass for 462 yards.

San Francisco allowed Marques Colston (136), Darren Sproles 116) and Jimmy Graham (103) 100+ receiving yards.

The 49ers held the Saints to 37 yards on the ground.

The Niners won the turnover battle 5-1.

San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to score two lead-changing touchdowns in the final three minutes of the 4^th quarter in a postseason game.

The San Francisco 49ers beat the St. Louis Rams 34-27 to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. San Francisco’s next opponent will be determined between the Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants.

It was clear from the start that TE Vernon Davis and WR Michael Crabtree would have to carry the main load in San Francisco’s passing offense. QB Alex Smith connected over and over again with both on the opening drive to get the offense into field goal range. The record-breaking David Akers attempted a field goal from 48 yards but missed.

The St. Louis Rams saw a chance to score the first points in this game. They were in San Francisco’s half after a 24-yard reception from former Niner WR Brandon Lloyd and proceeded to the red zone after 20 yards on 3 carries from RB Steven Jackson. San Francisco’s focus seemed a little off after having surrendered a rushing touchdown last week and QB Kellen Clemens took advantage of it by running 18 yards into the end zone.

Alex Smith showed that he could do just as well as time wound down in the first quarter. The Rams had to punt out of their own end zone and S Reggie Smith returned it 10 yards to St. Louis’ 33-yard line. RB Frank Gore couldn’t rush into the end zone, so Alex Smith tried it from 8 yards and was successful to tie the score at 7.

The 49ers were in control now and continued to add more points to the scoreboard. CB Tarell Brown intercepted Kellen Clemens on St. Louis’ next possession and Michael Crabtree caught a pass for a 28-yard touchdown.

On San Francisco’s next drive David Akers could make up for a missed field goal at the beginning of the game. Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis on a 44-yard pass to move the offense into the red zone. The distance was too much to overcome after LB Chris Chamberlain sacked Alex Smith for a loss of 7 yards and David Akers connected from 36 yard to give the Niners a 17-7 lead.

David Akers added another three points to the score when he hit a field goal from 42 yards after San Francisco’s final drive of the first half stalled at St. Louis’ 24-yard line. The 49ers took a commanding 20-7 lead into the break.

Josh Brown cut the deficit to 10, when he made a field goal from 49 yards, but the Niners responded with a trick play. San Francisco moved into the red zone after a 15-yard face mask penalty against S Quintin Mikell and a catch for 34 yards from Vernon Davis. The Niners couldn’t convert another first down. Michael Crabtree was running towards the sidelines as David Akers prepared for a 31-yard field goal attempt. No defender followed Crabtree and Akers passed to him for a 14-yard touchdown and a 27-10 lead.

Josh Brown again cut the deficit, this time to 14, when he scored from 48 yards.

The Niners had to punt on their next possession but Andy Lee’s ball sailed 64 yards through the air to St. Louis’ 1-yard line. Kellen Clemens made the mistake of throwing an interception and Tarell Brown returned the ball 5 yards to St. Louis’ 13-yard line. RB Kendall Hunter set up RB Anthony Dixon’s 1-yard rushing touchdown with 3 carries for 12 yards and the Niners were up by a score of 34-13.

With 6:30 minutes remaining the 49ers seemed to relax a little and allowed the Rams to get back into the game. St. Louis entered 49ers territory thanks to an unnecessary roughness call on CB Chris Culliver and moments later Kellen Clemens found Brandon Lloyd for a 36-yard touchdown.

The Rams attempted an onside kick and LB Bryan Kehl recovered the ball for St. Louis. Tarell Brown was called for pass interference on the next play, which gave the Rams a first down on San Francisco’s 1-yard line. RB Carnell Williams ran into the end zone and San Francisco’s lead was down to 34-27.

The Rams received the ball one more time but turned it over on downs and the 49ers were able to run out the clock.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 21 of 31 passes for 219 yards, 1 touchdown and a passer rating of 98.7. His passer rating of 90.7 on the season and 3,150 passing yards are a personal best.

Michael Crabtree caught 9 passes for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Vernon Davis caught 8 passes for 118 yards.

Tarell Brown had the first multi-interception game of his career.

The 49ers surrendered 100 receiving yards to Brandon Lloyd.

San Francisco converted 38% of their third downs and their only attempt on fourth down.

Both teams recorded 3 sacks.

The Niners outpossessed the Rams 35:08 minutes to 24:52 minutes.

FB Bruce Miller left the game with a knee injury, though it doesn’t appear to be too serious.

The San Francisco 49ers will be represented by eight players in the Pro Bowl, which will be played in Hawaii on 29 January 2012, one week before the Super Bowl.

Starters

RILB Patrick Willis has been selected for the 5^th consecutive time. He has 71 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception and 4 forced fumbles in 12 games.

For RE Justin Smith it’s the 3^rd consecutive selection. The veteran recorded 42 solo tackles, 7 sacks and 3 forced fumbles this season.

LT Joe Staley and LCB Carlos Rogers both received their first invitation to Hawaii. Rogers has 36 solo tackles, a joint team-leading 6 interceptions and defensed 18 passes.

K David Akers will go to his 6^th Pro Bowl and 3^rd in a row. The 37-year old left footed placekicker made 42 of 49 field goals, including an impressive 7-of-9 from 50+ yards, and 30 PATs. He broke Jerry Rice’s franchise record for most points in a season and scored more field goals than any other kicker in an NFL season.

P Andy Lee was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 3^rd time. He averages 50.5 yards per punt this season.

Reserves

RB Frank Gore became the franchise rushing leader earlier this season and won his 3^rd trip to Hawaii. He is rushing for 1,202 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2011.

FS Dahon Goldson has won his first Pro Bowl nomination thanks to 52 solo tackles, 6 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.

Alternates

LILB NaVorro Bowman has 102 solo tackles and 1 sack this season. It will be his first Pro Bowl if any of the starting or backup inside linebackers isn’t available.

The same applies to LOLB Ahmad Brooks, who has 32 solo tackles, 6 sacks and 1 forced fumble.

LB Blake Costanzo is an alternate due to his outstanding play on special teams, where he recorded 10 solo tackles in 2011.

TE Vernon Davis leads the team with 6 receiving touchdowns and caught 59 passes for 674 yards. It would be his 2^nd Pro Bowl.

WR Ted Ginn Jr. could be another player to represent San Francisco’s strong special teams unit. He averages 27.6 yards per kick return and scored 1 touchdown. He also returned 1 punt for a touchdown and averages 12.3 yards per punt return.

C Jonathan Goodwin and LG Mike Iupati could possibly be representatives of San Francisco’s offensive line.

LE Ray McDonald is another player from San Francisco’s pool of talent, who could see his first trip to the Pro Bowl. This season he recorded 28 solo tackles, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.

FB Bruce Miller could see his rookie campaign end with a Pro Bowl selection. He helped Frank Gore to another good season and caught 10 passes for 83 yards and 1 touchdown.

SS Donte Whitner concludes the nominations of potential 49ers for the Pro Bowl roster. The safety has 47 solo tackles, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble this season and, like many of his teammates, has never been to the Pro Bowl before.

The San Francisco 49ers crushed what little playoff hope the Seattle Seahawks may still have had by beating their divisional rival 19-17 at CenturyLink Field. The Niners on the other hand keep pushing for a first-round bye in the playoffs and put some pressure on the New Orleans Saints, who are facing the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

In the beginning it looked like the Seahawks were trying to beat the 49ers through the air. They only ran the ball twice on their first drive but their passing plays brought them closer and closer to San Francisco’s end zone. The Seahawks were in San Francisco’s half after a 44-yard reception from WR Ricardo Lockette. Three passes later WR Doug Baldwin, who was a game-time decision, caught a touchdown pass for 13 yards to give Seattle a 7-0 lead.

San Francisco needed to respond and showed that they were prepared to take risks. On 4^th and 1 at Seattle’s 48-yard line head coach Jim Harbaugh decided not to punt and QB Alex Smith ran 1 yard for another first down. The Niners were in field goal range after a 12-yard catch from WR Michael Crabtree but David Akers could not connect from 52 yards.

It didn’t take David Akers long to redeem himself. The 49ers marched down the field on their second drive, thanks to great rushing plays from RB Frank Gore and RB Kendall Hunter, but came to a halt at Seattle’s 35-yard line, when LB Leroy Hill sacked Alex Smith for a loss of 4 yards. Akers attempted a field goal from 53 yards and made it.

The Seahawks could have responded with a field goal straight away but an offensive pass interference call on WR Ben Obomanu and a sack from LILB Navorro Bowman for a loss of 4 yards moved the home team out of field goal range and they had to punt instead.

Seattle was more successful on their next possession. The Seahawks began the drive at San Francisco’s 43-yard line thanks to a 15-yard interference call on C.J. Spillman after the punt. It was mainly RB Marshawn Lynch who moved the ball close to the end zone but the Seahawks failed to get into it. Steven Hauschka restored the 7-point lead with 19-yard field goal.

The Niners had 1:30 minutes left and were determined to score before half time but turned the ball over on downs.

San Francisco needed a score on the first possession of the second half to get some momentum going. At Seattle’s 40-yard line the Niners were faced with a 4^th and 2 and decided to go for a conversion. Alex Smith didn’t just go for 2 yards but passed to TE Vernon Davis for a gain of 16 yards and an automatic first down. Davis caught another pass for 17 yards and set up Frank Gore’s 4-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 10.

San Francisco’s defense forced a three-and-out on Seattle’s next possession and WR Kyle Williams, who replaced the injured WR Ted Ginn Jr., returned the punt for 36 yards to Seattle’s 48-yard line. Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Alex Smith seemed unstoppable and ran the ball deep into Seattle’s red zone. Once there the progress stopped but David Akers’ 29-yard field goal gave the Niners their first lead of the game. The momentum had clearly shifted in San Francisco’s favor.

The 49ers forced yet another three-and-out and the offense repeated their now successful formula: Run, run and run. Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter moved the offense deep into Seattle territory but were stopped before the red zone. David Akers hit a field goal from 44-yards to give the Niners a 16-10 lead.

San Francisco had the win all but wrapped up, had it not been for a mishap on special teams. LB Heath Farwell blocked a punt from Andy Lee and Marshawn Lynch rushed for a 4-yard touchdown on Seattle’s subsequent first down.

The 49ers didn’t seem to be affected by this setback and restored the order of things within minutes. WR Michael Crabtree caught a pass for 41 yards at Seattle’s 28-yard line. Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter gained another 7 yards to set up David Akers’ field goal from 39 yards.

There were 1:18 minutes left to play when QB Tarvaris Jackson attempted to run for a first down at San Francisco’s 48-yard line. LB Larry Grant came from behind and stripped the quarterback for the only turnover of the game, when SS Donte Whitner recovered the fumble.

The Niners only managed to take 15 seconds off the clock on their ensuing drive but the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs and San Francisco’s 19-17 win at the Seattle Seahawks was official.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 14 of 26 passes for 179 yards and a passer rating of 75.6.

Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter rushed for a combined 156 yards.

OLB Aldon Smith recorded his team-leading 14^th sack of the season and needs one more to set a new NFL record for rookies.

San Francisco converted only 20% of third downs but went 2-for-3 on fourth downs.

The 49ers outsacked the Seahawks 3-2.

David Akers set a new NFL record for field goals made in a season with 42.

Alex Smith is tied with Joe Montana for most fourth quarter come-from-behind road wins in one season for the 49ers with 4.

TE Delanie Walker suffered a jaw injury and could miss the rest the season.

Kyle Williams left the game with a potential concussion.

Marshawn Lynch ran for 107 yards and is the first running back since week 11 of the 2009 season to top 100 yards against the Niners. He is also the first running back to rush for a touchdown against San Francisco this season.

San Francisco’s winning ways haven’t changed, even after a bye week. Dominating defense, stellar running game and remarkable receptions were the foundations for the 5^th consecutive win.

LOLB Ahmad Brooks sacked Colt McCoy on the second play of the game and DT Isaac Sopoaga recovered the fumble at Cleveland’s 20-yard line. RB Frank Gore rushed for a 4-yard touchdown five plays later to score the first points of the game.

On San Francisco’s second possession Frank Gore and RB Kendall Hunter each had a run for over 20 yards and LT Joe Staley caught a pass for 17 yards. Kicker David Akers completed the 88-yard drive with a successful 29-yard field goal attempt to give the Niners a 10-0 lead after the first quarter.

The 49ers opened the second quarter by marching down the field once again, seemingly unstoppable. At Cleveland’s 1-yard line head coach Jim Harbaugh made the call to run the ball into end zone three times but Cleveland’s defense stopped each attempt and the 49ers turned the ball over on downs.

I don’t blame Harbaugh for trying to score a touchdown on a 4^th and goal with 1 yard to go. The 49ers were outplaying the Browns up to this point and were trying to break Cleveland’s will, but I wonder why he didn’t select RB Anthony Dixon for the attempted one-yard conversion.

The 49ers were more successful on their next drive, though, when QB Alex Smith connected with WR Michael Crabtree on a 2-yard pass for the wideout’s first touchdown of the season.

With 1:23 left in the half Colt McCoy managed to move the chain, helped by a 15-yards penalty on FS Dashon Goldson for unnecessary roughness, and Phil Dawson scored a 52-yard field goal for a 17-3 half time score.

The third quarter did not deliver any scoring drives but Ahmad Brooks recorded his second sack of the game and Dashon Goldson redeemed himself by intercepting a pass at San Francisco’s own 20-yard line. “As a player you think of those type of things.” Reggie Givens said, who once again offered his insight as a former NFL player on http://schoolofthelegends.com during the game. “Make-up plays get the coach off your back.”

The 49ers failed to turn this contest into a three-possession game and in return the Cleveland Browns cut their deficit to 7 points. Colt McCoy passed to WR Joshua Cribbs for a 45-yard touchdown with 6:17 left in the game.

The Niners needed to respond and they did. The 49ers overcame 68 yards in 11 plays, ran down the clock to 1:56 and left the Browns without any timeouts. On 3^rd & 3 at Cleveland’s 32-yard line Alex Smith threw a pass to Isaac Sopoaga for 18 yards and a new 1^st down. Four plays later David Akers hit the game-winning field goal from 26 yards for the final score of 20-10.

Game Tidbits

Alex Smith completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 177 yards and 1 touchdown. His passer rating was 98.8.

It was Frank Gore’s fourth consecutive game with 125+ rushing yards and a touchdown. He now has 7,089 rushing yards and moved past Roger Craig into second place on the 49ers career rushing list. He needs 256 more yards to surpass Joe Perry.

LILB NaVorro Bowman finished the game with 11 tackles and is on pace for 123 tackles.

P Andy Lee’s first punt came in the third quarter. His longest punt went for 65 yards.

The 49ers outsacked the Browns 4-1.

The defense committed a 15-yard penalty in the final two minutes of each half. “That’s a very big deal,” according to Reggie Givens. “They have to correct that if they want to become an elite team and go deep into the playoffs.”   

Two linemen, Joe Staley and Isaac Sopoaga, each caught a pass for a first down.

It’s week 7 of the NFL season and the 49ers are on a bye week, or Improvement Week as head coach Jim Harbaugh calls is. Time to reflect on San Francisco’s season to this point and pinpoint how the 49ers turned from one of the worst teams into one of the best.

After three games the 49ers had a 2-1 record, beating the Seattle Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals and losing against the Dallas Cowboys in overtime, and were merely on par with preseason predictions. The Dallas Cowboys and the Bengals painfully put one of San Francisco’s weaknesses on display, the offensive line. The 49ers were outsacked 11-2 in those two games and rushed for 62 yards per game. Jim Harbaugh had to respond and one little change made all the difference.

I am a firm believer in the battle in the trenches. The offense stands and falls with the offensive line. If you can block rushing lanes you can establish a running game. With an established running game your pass plays aren’t so predictable. If you can protect the quarterback you can establish a passing game as well. If you fail to block or to protect you will fail to move the chain.

From week 4 on Adam Snyder replaced Chilo Rachal as the starting right guard and the results speak for themselves. In their next three games the 49ers rushed for 193.3 yards per game and outsacked their opponents, the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, 10-5. RB Frank Gore rushed for at least 125 yards and 1 touchdown in each of his last 3 games. Coincidence? I think not.

But there is a lot more to San Francisco’s transformation. Take QB Alex Smith for example. His passer rating of 95.2 is the eighth best in the league and he has thrown just 2 interceptions. His overall numbers may not look spectacular but he is very solid this season. He doesn’t always look like a top quarterback but he doesn’t get frustrated and discouraged anymore. He sticks to the game plan and focuses on the next play. And how many times did he successfully drive the offense downfield for a score?

San Francisco’s passing offense is unpredictable. Often a team would have one top receiver and target him as often as possible. The 49ers have injury issues at this position but who is San Francisco’s top receiver? Braylon Edwards? Michael Crabtree? Josh Morgan? Vernon Davis? Fact is, in 6 games the 49ers had 4 different team leading receivers. Opposing defenses cannot focus on a particular player because any of San Francisco’s receivers can take over the game.

Then there is the emergence of LILB NaVorro Bowman. San Francisco’s rushing defense ranked 6^th last season but DT Aubrayo Franklin and ILB Takeo Spikes departed. The 49ers currently rank 2^nd in rushing defense and NaVorro Bowman is on pace for 114 tackles, compared to Spikes’ 82 tackles last season. RILB Patrick Willis’ numbers may be slightly down this season but what does it matter with Bowman putting up these numbers? Is there a better ILB-tandem in the league?

It is no secret that the 49ers devote a lot of time to special teams in practice and it translates onto the field. San Francisco ranks 6^th in punt return average (13.7 yards), 1^st in kick return average (30.9 yards) and 3^rd in punting average (50.5 yards). Every week Ted Ginn Jr. and P Andy Lee put the 49ers in a position where they can succeed. Do you remember TE Delanie Walker’s go-ahead touchdown on 4^th and goal in the fourth quarter of last week’s game? It was preceded by a 40-yard punt return by Ginn Jr. to Detroit’s 35-yard line. K David Akers made 13 of 15 field goal attempts and is a perfect 3-of-3 from 50+ yards.

Let’s not forget the mastermind who is in charge of the team, head coach Jim Harbaugh. The players are totally buying into his philosophy and believe in him. Harbaugh is always well prepared and fits the system around the players he has, not the other way round. He knows what he is doing and whatever he touches turns into gold. He coaches with the same intensity the players are playing the game. He turned the franchise around in less than half a season, though it will be interesting to see how he responds when wins are expected from this point onwards. Until now the 49ers were a surprise team, now they are for real.

This leaves the secondary as the only weak link. If I had the answer on how to fix it defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would have come up with it weeks ago. The personnel is better than last year’s but the defense gives up 261 yards per game and ranks 21^st. Nonetheless, the pass defense is more aware. Last season the 49ers had 15 interceptions, this season they already have 8 and are on pace for 21. The pass rush is producing better results, too. Last season the Niners recorded 36 sacks and this season they have 17 sacks in 6 games. In a pass-happy league that favors receivers it’s getting increasingly difficult to defend against the pass. But regardless of the yardage the opponents are racking up, once they get into the red zone things become tricky. San Francisco’s opponent red zone scoring percentage is at league low of 31.58%, compared to 47.27% last season. More often than not opponents have to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown.

Jim Harbaugh is building something very special in the Bay Area. The city is excited and the 49ers are relevant again after years of anonymity. The playoffs are only a matter of time, but they are fast approaching.