After such a long layoff, I wondered a bit whether it would feel the same now as it did for all those big games in the 80s and 90s. Would I still feel that same level of intensity and passion for the game? Well, even before the game kicked off, I knew the answer was yes. I was extremely focused on every play. I literally did not sit down the entire game, with so much nervous energy. The game was a lot of fun to watch, right up to that final fatal fumble. Yesterday really did remind me of all those playoff games from the past. I hate losing NFC championship games. Yesterday’s loss reminded me of how I felt the very first time I endured a very painful loss, the 1983 NFC Championship game against the Redskins, when the 49ers lost 24-21. In that game, the final winning Redskins drive was aided by two extremely questionable penalties against the 49ers defense. The 49ers are now 1-5 in their last six conference championship games. Maybe I’m not thinking rationally right now, but I think I’d probably feel better about the season if they had lost last week. You lose in the first playoff game and the season can be viewed as a steppingstone to greater things. You lose yesterday and you’ve blown a terrific opportunity of advancing to the Super Bowl.
As for the game itself, I don’t hold too much of a grudge against Kyle Williams. That bounce off the knee was almost inexcusable, but I think punt returning is one of the toughest jobs in football and Williams has not returned that many punts in his NFL career. I think he had returned six before yesterday’s game. As for the fumble, hey, fumbles happen. Unlike the Roger Craig fumble against the Giants, the 49ers weren’t on their way to victory. The way the game was going, the 49ers offense would have gone 3-and-out and punted the ball right back to the Giants. Usually, after such a tough loss, I try to go to a media blackout since I don’t want to dwell on the loss, but I couldn’t help it. Late last night, I tuned into the sports shows and watched some of the post-game remarks. I have to say, I was very impressed with the leaders of the team. Hearing Jim Harbaugh, Alex Smith, Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis, I loved how the team leaders all rallied around Kyle Williams instead of pointing fingers. Alex Smith made a great point. Going 1-for-13 on third down, that’s what killed the team yesterday. I do feel pretty good about the team’s future because they’re led by players with a lot of character.
I wouldn’t say that the Giants were the better team. I think if the two teams played ten times, probably each time would win five games. But the Giants were definitely the more complete team. I’d give the 49ers defense a slight edge on the Giants, but the Giants offense is way ahead of the 49ers one. Third down is where you really need the wide receivers to get open, and yesterday, they were constantly blanketed by defenders. That’s an obvious hole to fill for next season.
Overall, the 49ers season exceeded expectations by leaps and bounds. The 49ers gave me more great moments this season that all the previous eight seasons combined. But that doesn’t mean that yesterday’s loss wasn’t one of the most painful in 49ers history. I’ll see how I feel a little further removed from this game, but right now it’s in the top three for me, along with the 1983 loss to the Redskins and the 1990 loss to the Giants. Like I said, I hate losing in the NFC championship game.
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