With emotions running high marking the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the twin towers, the country was in need of something to not only reflect, but also help fill the American spirit inside all of us. And what's more American than spending a Sunday afternoon watching football?
Heading into Sunday's match-up between the San Francisco 49ers and the division rival Seattle Seahawks, it wasn't a marquee free-agent player everyone had their eyes on at the start of the game, but rather the newly hired head coach Jim Harbaugh. Making his NFL debut, Harbaugh who spent the last four years at Stanford would renew his beef with Seattle's Pete Carrol who made the transition back to the NFL last year after forming a dynasty at USC. With the upper-hand at the collegiate level having outdone Carrol's Trojans twice in three meetings, Harbaugh looked to add yet another tally to the win column against his counterpart.
As the game got underway, the 49ers appeared to be in the drivers seat in the early going. With neither team's run game able to find much running room and both quarterbacks held in check for the most part, it was the defense that sparkled during the first half. Alex Smith and company were able to march down field a number of times, but the 49er offense had to settle for field goals as one of San Francisco's offseason acquisitions David Akers made it a 9-0 game by splitting the uprights on three consecutive drives. However, the 49ers offense would finally reach the end-zone on their next drive as Alex Smith scampered his way across the goal-line before being met with a big hit, to put his team on top, 16-0, heading into the half.
After a sluggish first half on offense, the Seahawks appeared to have made some adjustments, turning their first drive of the second half into seven points as Tavaris Jackson found receiver Golden Tate on a slant pass for an 8-yard touchdown. After exchanging punts, what was a sixteen to nothing lead at one point for the Niners would soon dwindle down to a three point game as Seattle struck by scoring 10 unanswered points. The following drive, David Akers would once again make it a two possession game, connecting for his fourth field goal of the afternoon. But a huge play from one of Harbaugh's former players at Stanford would bring the Seahawks within two points as Jackson utilized the slant once again, this time finding rookie Doug Baldwin for a 55 yard score.
With just over four minutes remaining in the game and the 49ers leading 19-17, Harbaugh's boys were in need of a shot in the arm on offense if they planned on making their coaches debut a successful one. However, the offense didn't need to take the field as Ted Ginn Jr. and the Niners' special teams stole the show. Picking the team up and putting them on his back, Ginn ran back a 102 yard kick return for a touchdown to once again put the pressure on Pete Carrol. Normally a team on the receiving end of kick returns, Seattle looked stunned and found themselves scratching their heads. Little did they know, Ginn wasn't finished. With the Seahawks forced to punt less than a minute later, the former first round pick and standout at Ohio State would put the finishing touches on the game by returning the kick 55 yards into the end-zone, sending the 49er faithful in a frenzy and putting the game out of reach, 33-17.
Rundown & Week 2 Preview: Though it wasn't the prettiest performance on either side of the ball for the 49ers, Alex Smith managed to play mistake-free football, despite only throwing for 124 passing yards in a 15-for-20 effort. More importantly was that the team was able to get the Harbaugh era started on a winning note. With an idea of what his team looks like now in regular season form, the rookie head coach Harbaugh can address the areas that are in need of fixing in hopes of improving to 2-0. Week 2 won't be an easy task though as Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys pay a visit to Candlestick Park in search of their first win of the season, coming off a late-game debacle against the New York Jets.
Keys to the game: With running back Frank Gore virtually a non-factor in Sunday's win for San Francisco (59 yards rushing), I'd expect to see the Pro Bowler bounce back with a big game in what should be a nail biter.
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