The 49ers' need for another last second miracle deserves a deep rewind
It’s January 14th, 2012. We’re at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. With 14 seconds to play, down three, and facing a third down, the 49ers need a score to keep their playoff hopes alive - without needing to roll the dice in overtime. The Saints meanwhile can end this here with a takeaway and head to the NFC Championship Game themselves. To understand how we got here and to appreciate everything this moment represents, we need to rewind.
Transcript
00:00 It's January 14th, 2012.
00:03 We're at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
00:07 With 14 seconds to play, down three,
00:09 and facing a third down,
00:11 the 49ers need a score to keep their playoff hopes alive
00:15 without needing to roll the dice in overtime.
00:18 The Saints, meanwhile, can end this here with a takeaway
00:21 and head to the NFC Championship game themselves.
00:25 To understand how we got here
00:27 and to appreciate everything this moment represents,
00:30 we need to rewind.
00:31 While moral victories are meaningless in football,
00:40 for all of these Niners,
00:42 just being in the playoffs is a huge relief.
00:45 That's especially true for their QB.
00:48 It's been nearly a decade
00:50 since the 49ers last made the playoffs.
00:53 In that time, they've flown through coaches,
00:55 their expectations have bounced all over the place,
00:59 and they've failed to finish with a winning record.
01:02 Stinky seasons do provide the ability
01:05 to draft amazing talent,
01:07 but that's been part of their issue.
01:09 When primed with the first overall pick in 2005,
01:13 the 49ers thought they drafted a franchise cornerstone
01:16 in the wonderlick wonder, Alex Smith.
01:19 Maybe they should have spent their time
01:22 with the quarterback doing things
01:23 a little more quarterbacky.
01:26 If they had, they might have seen these results coming.
01:30 A rough start to Smith's career led to a rougher 2008.
01:34 He spent the year on IR
01:36 and had to listen to his general manager
01:37 talk about not wanting to pay the QB the money he'd be owed.
01:41 But Smith outlasted that GM
01:45 and agreed to a pay cut to stick around.
01:47 When it comes to on-the-field performance,
01:51 it's hard to place all the blame on Smith.
01:54 He'd had five offensive coordinators
01:56 in his first five years,
01:59 not to mention one of the least inspiring
02:01 collections of receivers in the league.
02:04 This team had done their QB no favors.
02:07 Enter Jim Harbaugh, the former NFL QB
02:12 and most recently savior of Stanford football,
02:15 took over barely one year ago.
02:18 Considered a quarterback whisperer,
02:20 Harbaugh was vocal about wanting Smith.
02:23 He liked what he'd seen on tape.
02:24 The first issue, though,
02:27 Smith had played out his most recent contract
02:30 and remained unsigned as of early March.
02:33 That led to issue number two, another lockout.
02:37 Players were not able to use team facilities
02:40 or communicate with front offices or get new deals.
02:44 But here's how much Harbaugh liked Smith.
02:46 Coach gave his playbook to the QB
02:49 before the lockout began.
02:51 Smith took that and organized sessions for the team,
02:55 installing Harbaugh's offense as well as one could
02:58 without the coach being there himself.
03:00 While Smith played teacher's assistant,
03:03 Harbaugh continued to sing his praises,
03:05 despite the league's attempts to silence him.
03:09 When the lockout ended, Smith agreed to a one-year deal
03:12 and won the starting spot
03:14 during a lockout-shortened training camp.
03:17 But thanks to the off-season work organized by Smith,
03:20 a two-week training camp spelled no trouble for this team.
03:25 They recovered from a week-to-overtime stumble
03:28 by rattling off eight straight wins.
03:31 Everyone spoke differently about Smith.
03:35 This was his team.
03:37 He was winning with intangibles, not statistics.
03:41 His IQ and leadership allowed him
03:43 to execute Harbaugh's plan beautifully.
03:46 A much more solid offensive line aided that transformation,
03:51 which then benefited the bell cow of this offense,
03:53 Frank Gore, who in his seventh year
03:56 delivered another fantastic season.
03:58 But the competent, at times explosive,
04:03 yet always stable offense helped their defense become elite.
04:08 In 2011, the defense made life miserable for the opposition,
04:12 particularly on the ground.
04:15 They swallowed up running backs,
04:17 they overwhelmed quarterbacks,
04:19 and they kept everyone from scoring.
04:22 This team fully embraced their new
04:27 and frankly bizarre leader.
04:29 They finally matched, then surpassed, expectations
04:35 and delivered the franchise's best season since 1997.
04:40 And now, Alex Smith can steal a postseason win
04:45 for San Francisco.
04:48 The trouble is, remember the whole
04:51 Niners defense keeps everyone from scoring thing?
04:54 Well, would you look at that?
04:56 This Saints team already proved their greatness.
05:01 While their defense was nothing to sneeze at,
05:04 the offense carried this squad.
05:06 Sean Payton has served as their offensive composer,
05:10 the mastermind behind an attack
05:12 meant to overwhelm a defense.
05:15 Drew Brees is the conductor,
05:17 a precision-oriented genius who sees what's coming
05:21 and adapts, then blows the doors off opposing defenses.
05:25 That went on full display this season.
05:29 Two somewhat new faces helped fully unlock Payton's offense.
05:33 Jimmy Graham, a second-year tight end,
05:35 became Brees' go-to guy.
05:38 The 6'7" unstoppable force proved capable of home run plays
05:42 and moving the chains at will.
05:44 Meanwhile, the 5'6" Darren Sproles,
05:49 an off-season addition to the backfield,
05:51 quickly found a connection with Brees,
05:53 hauling in everything thrown his way
05:56 and setting a career high in scrimmage yards.
05:58 Those guys made life even easier for Marcus Colston,
06:03 an incredible possession receiver
06:05 who mainly operated out of the slot.
06:08 This meant Brees had three safety valves,
06:12 all with big play potential.
06:14 So, they've got the tools, but what about results?
06:19 Well, I'm cherry-picking here,
06:21 but it's the quickest way to appreciate
06:23 what New Orleans achieved.
06:25 They did take a little time to settle into things.
06:29 Despite scoring at least 20 points
06:31 in every game of the season,
06:32 New Orleans hit the midpoint of 2011,
06:34 sitting at 5-3.
06:37 However, from there, all they did was win.
06:40 The biggest change came in the turnover department.
06:44 Even though they bored points on
06:46 in the first half of the season,
06:47 they gave the ball away 13 times in those eight games.
06:50 Down the stretch, that number was just six,
06:54 and never more than two in a game.
06:57 And that meant Brees could finish drives
06:59 in historic fashion.
07:02 He won the NFL's Triple Crown
07:04 and shattered Dan Marino's 27-year-old record
07:07 for passing yards in a season.
07:10 While the Saints' 13-win season
07:12 wasn't enough to earn a bye,
07:14 their offense got one more tune-up on wild-card weekend.
07:18 Detroit, or Calvin Johnson,
07:21 showed some holes in New Orleans' defense,
07:23 and the Saints actually found themselves
07:25 down four at halftime.
07:28 The five straight touchdown drives
07:30 turned this game on its head.
07:32 Sure, it's nice to stay balanced,
07:35 but when you need the win,
07:36 just let Brees air it out for 450-plus.
07:40 It really hadn't been just that easy.
07:43 That victory meant the Saints would get a chance
07:46 to do what no Saints team has ever done,
07:49 win a playoff game on the road.
07:51 And right now, they're in pretty good position to do so.
07:56 But again, how have they put up over 30 points
08:01 on a defense that allowed just 14 per game
08:04 in the regular season?
08:05 Well, I guess patience is the answer.
08:09 Remember how turnovers derailed their start to the season?
08:13 New Orleans' first four drives of the game
08:16 resulted in two fumbles, one punt, and one interception.
08:21 Most painfully, they fumbled their first drive
08:24 while knocking on the goal line.
08:26 In response, the 49ers capitalized.
08:29 Alex Smith threw for a pair of touchdowns,
08:32 then David Akers made it 17-zip
08:34 at the start of the second quarter.
08:37 Again, what does New Orleans do when in a hole?
08:41 They let Brees cook.
08:44 An 80-yard drive capped off with a Jimmy Graham touchdown.
08:48 A 66-yard drive that ended with Marcus Colston.
08:52 And just like that, we had a three-point game at halftime.
08:56 Neither side did much to open the second
08:59 until the 49ers reclaimed a six-point lead
09:02 with 7 1/2 to play.
09:03 And that sparked a proper slugfest.
09:06 In the crunch, Brees picked San Fran's defense apart.
09:11 He dinked, dunked, moved the chains,
09:14 then Sproles did his magic.
09:16 What looked like a casual checkdown
09:19 turned into Sproles becoming an untouchable flash.
09:23 He juked through two guys, Graham bulldozed a third,
09:25 and the Saints took their first lead of the game.
09:29 In response, Alex Smith took over.
09:32 Two completions picked up 50 yards,
09:35 and after some minimal gains on the ground,
09:37 Smith did his best Sproles impression.
09:39 Facing a stacked box, Harbaugh called a designed QB keeper,
09:44 sprinting out to the left, and as Smith got to the corner,
09:47 the blockers took care of the rest.
09:50 Smith tight-roped all this way,
09:52 recapturing the lead with just over two minutes to play.
09:57 How, oh how, could New Orleans possibly respond?
10:01 It was Brees.
10:02 You know this by now.
10:04 First, he went to Sproles.
10:06 Then he went to Colston.
10:07 And then on his 62nd pass attempt of the day,
10:12 Drew found Jimmy running up the seam.
10:14 Right here, it should be impossible to be this smooth.
10:18 All six feet, seven inches of Graham
10:21 glided through the air,
10:23 plucking the ball between two defenders coming for his head,
10:26 and somehow regained his speed
10:28 and fended off Carlos Rodgers to go 66 yards.
10:33 Poof, the 49ers lead was gone.
10:36 The Saints upped their lead to three
10:37 after a successful two-point conversion,
10:40 and that's where we find ourselves now.
10:43 Three-point game, overtime looming,
10:46 one last shot for the 49ers to wrap things up in regulation.
10:50 By now, you might be feeling a sense of deja vu.
10:55 San Francisco down late in the playoff game
10:58 with a chance to win it.
11:00 Well, it is a situation that they've known well.
11:03 NFL history was made in this very stadium
11:07 on January 10th, 1982.
11:10 Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco.
11:13 49ers down six, 58 seconds remaining,
11:16 facing a third down on the Cowboys' six.
11:19 Welcome to a different moment in history.
11:23 - Looking, looking, throwing in the end zone.
11:26 (crowd cheering)
11:29 - Joe Montana found Dwight Clark
11:30 for one of the most iconic catches we will ever know.
11:35 It ended the Cowboys' NFC dominance
11:37 and ushered in the start of a Niners dynasty.
11:41 That play is now known as simply The Catch.
11:44 But this franchise has a flair for these moments.
11:50 Jumping ahead to 1999, again at Candlestick Park,
11:53 and again, the Niners found themselves down four
11:56 with eight seconds left.
11:58 Steve Young stumbled as he dropped back
12:01 and welcome to yet another different moment in history.
12:04 Somehow in the midst of five Green Bay defenders,
12:08 Terrell Owens hauled in the game-winning score
12:11 to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.
12:13 For this moment, the only appropriate name
12:17 was The Catch Two.
12:20 If San Francisco pulls off the comeback,
12:22 they'll be adding to quite the legacy.
12:26 So who could be in line to haul in The Catch Number Three?
12:30 Well, all the way down here, we've got Kyle Williams.
12:35 No offense, Kyle, but you'd be quite the unlikely hero.
12:40 To his left is Michael Crabtree,
12:43 the team's best receiver, but the competition is a bit weak.
12:48 There's a chance this could be the guy,
12:50 but he's been mostly held in check so far today.
12:53 Okay, what about Justin Pe-
12:56 Nope, sorry, sorry, not you, bud.
12:59 These three guys represent the uninspired receiving game
13:03 for the Niners today.
13:05 Yet this guy has thrown for nearly 300 yards.
13:10 How?
13:11 Where?
13:12 To whom?
13:13 Oh, hey there, Vernon Davis.
13:16 A year after drafting Smith first overall,
13:19 San Francisco took Vernon Davis
13:21 with the sixth pick in the draft.
13:23 Mighty high for a tight end,
13:25 but Davis profiled as a very, very special player.
13:29 His speed was off the charts for the position,
13:32 and he immediately showcased his potential
13:34 by securing his first NFL reception for a touchdown.
13:38 There was a learning curve
13:41 and maybe a little more frustration spilling over
13:44 than one would like, but that fueled Davis
13:47 to find himself and to commit to this team.
13:51 By the time Harbaugh came on,
13:53 Davis's complete skillset helped power this offense,
13:57 which in his first career playoff game was required.
14:01 All day, Davis has been there for Smith.
14:05 The tight end opened the scoring
14:07 with a 49-yard catch and run,
14:10 making these Saints DBs look like peewee football players
14:13 and sauntering in for six.
14:16 He added gains of 20 yards, 37 yards,
14:20 then most importantly,
14:21 when the Niners found themselves down late,
14:23 he provided the spark.
14:25 After a couple of decent gains from Gore,
14:29 Smith yet again found Davis over the middle,
14:32 dodging defenders and picking up a massive 47 yards
14:35 in the blink of an eye.
14:37 Just like that, the Niners were in position to tie it up,
14:40 but also had time for more.
14:43 Gore picked up six on the ground,
14:46 Smith spiked it to stop the clock,
14:49 and we found ourselves here.
14:51 Down three, the Niners have one last shot at the end zone.
14:55 Given the Saints' ability to score at will
14:59 and the impact of another coin flip,
15:01 they want to avoid overtime.
15:03 A win here for San Francisco
15:05 would send shockwaves across the NFL.
15:08 After so many down years,
15:10 they'd be back, a conference threat led by a duo
15:14 that has begun crafting their new legacies
15:16 with each week of play.
15:17 But New Orleans has a say in that.
15:20 They should know what's coming
15:23 and could steal the win themselves with an interception.
15:26 Do that, and this team has already proved
15:29 what it's capable of in the postseason,
15:31 adding to an already historic season for the Saints.
15:35 They just need to stop the Niners,
15:37 and most importantly, stop this guy,
15:40 which has proved near impossible today.
15:43 So with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line,
15:48 welcome to a moment in history.
15:50 - Smith on third and three.
15:53 He throws to the end zone,
15:55 and a catch is made by Vernon Davis for a Niners touchdown!
16:00 (crowd cheering)
16:03 (camera shutter clicking)
16:06 (music)