Recap: Giants at 49ers (NFC Championship)
Disappointed. That would be my one-word open. That’s probably the best way to describe how I feel after Sunday evening’s game. Not disappointed in the season as a whole – the 49ers definitely did better than I expected coming in to the season. Not disappointed that we lost a game we had a very good chance to win, maybe something we should have won. Disappointed that we lost the way we did. The Giants are a good team (I’m not sure if they are the better team, but on Sunday night, they were). It’s a painful way to lose…
Some of my notes for this game:
· Justin Smith was his usual self – an unstoppable monster. In a game with two great defensive lines, Smith stood out. He had 1 sack to go with his 7 tackles and made Eli Manning uncomfortable all game. Ray McDonald was also a beast, totalling 3 sacks. The defense played great; I felt they were the better defense on the field. They definitely have the best front 7 in the league.
· The Giants d-line was also very good, sacking Alex Smith 3 times for a total of 18 yards. This is probably the best d-line in the league with Tuck, Osi, and JPP.
· Eli didn’t have a great game, but he was still solid. The Giants run game was shut down, as expected, making them one-dimensional. It seemed Eli never had any time, but he didn’t make the bad decisions he used to be known for. With his ability to make big throws (and the willingness), his good decision making, and his pocket presence, he showed that he was an elite QB – in the same tier as Tom Brady.
· The 49ers were horrible on 3rd down. They only converted 1 the whole game. That’s Tim Tebow territory. It’s easy to blame Alex Smith, but I don’t think you can place the blame solely on his shoulders. The receiving corps he played with was probably one of the worst in the league – he didn’t have the luxury of Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz. He had to depend on Vernon Davis because his receivers totaled 1 catch between them. Sure, you can make the argument that the QB makes the receivers (case in point, Deion Branch, Wes Welker), but having a Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson certainly would have helped him.
· Kyle Williams… I don’t even know what to say. It’s like nobody taught him the fundamentals of punt returning. Rule #1, if you’re not going to catch the ball, stay the hell away from the ball. Also, when the ball hit you in the knee, why did you try to play it off instead of trying to dive on the ball? Rule #2, secure the damn ball! If you were on the Giants, Tom Coughlin would have given you “the look.” The first mistake was horrible; if not for that, the 49ers could have won the game in regulation. Instead, the Giants had a short field and converted it into a score. But still, the 49ers were resilient and marched back and tied the game. The second was a dagger though… The 49ers definitely missed having Ted Ginn Jr.
· The Ahmad Bradshaw non-fumble… I understand the ruling and this is definitely not the reason why the 49ers lost (though it may have been sealed the game for them). I think they should have given more time before calling the play dead; I didn’t even hear a whistle blowing it dead. Also, this play JUST happened in the Ravens – Patriots game, but without a fumble.
