Week 16: Niners, Bowman bid Farewell to Candlestick in dramatic fashion.

Prior to Monday night's meeting between the (10-4) San Francisco 49ers and the (4-10) Atlanta Falcons, you couldn't have scripted a better ending to take place than the one that played out in front of a sellout crowd on national television with a playoff berth on the line. Playing host to a record 36th Monday Night Football game in the same building that saw NFL greats such as Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice etch their name into the record books over the 40+ years the 49ers called Candlestick Park home, a few of the game's brightest young stars would put their own finishing touches on the stadium's rich history on Monday night. On an evening in which the 49ers franchise and their fans reflected on some of the game's greatest memories of all time, the team made sure to add a few more in this one. With Joe Montana's game-winning touchdown pass to Dwight Clark in 1982 simply known as "The Catch," NaVorro Bowman's game-sealing pick-six interception might be better described as, "The Pick."

With San Francisco greats such as Rice, Young, Willie Mays and Willie McCovey all on hand to soak in the final regular season game and quite possibly the last game ever played at the 'Stick, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh knew a loss wouldn't be acceptable, especially given it was his 50th Birthday. And though his team would eventually award him with the best Birthday gift possible -- a win, the Atlanta Falcons nearly crashed the party. Seeking revenge for their 28-24 loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship last January that prevented the Falcons from advancing to the Super Bowl, Atlanta would give San Francisco all that they bargained for, leaving the 49er faithful on the edge of their seats up until the final minutes of the game. After opening the game with a successful drive that San Francisco kicker Phil Dawson finished by converting on a 49 yard field goal, Colin Kaepernick and the 49er offense would hit a dry spell, failing to score again in the first half as it was Atlanta who would take a 10-3 lead with them into the half after benefiting from a bogus penalty on Niners cornerback Donte Whitner who was penalized on a clean hit to Falcons running back Steven Jackson. Jackson would punch it into the end zone from two yards out on the following play.

After a sluggish first half, Kaepernick and company made the needed adjustment on offense as 49ers wide-out Michael Crabtree hauled in passes of 47 and 19 yards, setting up Anquan Boldin's sixth touchdown reception of the season to tie the game at 10. San Francisco would take the lead one drive later as Phil Dawson split the uprights for his 26th consecutive made field goal attempt. Kaepernick would then find the end zone with his feet, striking pay dirt from 4 yards out as the 49ers put up 17 unanswered-points and found themselves ahead, 20-10. But Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan would refuse to just lie down as he connected with his favorite target on the night in receiver Roddy White from 39 yards out for the touchdown. Having torched the 49ers for big gains in the past, White would ultimately finish the game with 141 yards on 12 receptions. San Francisco's running back tandem of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter would then make their presence felt as Hunter followed up a handful of Gore runs with a 45-yard gain that setup his team inside the 5 yard line and in position to score yet again.

They would do just that two plays later as Gore plowed into the end zone, making it a 27-17 ballgame. With just over 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Atlanta would make a surge as another stellar offensive drive orchestrated by Matt Ryan ended with another trip to the end zone, this time to future Hall of Fame tight-end Tony Gonzalez. Trailing by a field goal, Atlanta attempted and recovered an onside kick that just squeaked past Pro Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman, giving Ryan the ball back with tremendous field position and a chance to take the lead and pull off the upset with just two minutes left on the clock. With Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense staring down the end zone with the game on the line in the winding minutes much like they were in the NFC title game last season, Atlanta would once again be stopped in their tracks. NaVorro Bowman who had a chance to recover the onside kick and put the game away just minutes earlier would eventually redeem himself with the biggest play of his career since the one that forced an Atlanta turnover on downs in last year's NFC Championship.

Ryan's pass intended for receiver Harry Douglas was knocked free by corner back Tremaine Brock and into the hands of Bowman who with nothing but real estate ahead, ran it back 89-yards, sealing the win and sending Candlestick Park into a frenzy as San Francisco punched their ticket to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Kaepernick logged another turnover-free performance by throwing for 197 yards and a touchdown on 13 of 21 pass attempts in the 34-24 win. Kaepernick also contributed on 51 of San Francisco's 199 total yards rushing on the evening. Frank Gore led the way with 97 rushing yards and Kendall Hunter added 51 of his own. Anquan Boldin caught six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, helping him eclipse the 1,000 yard mark for the sixth time in his career and the first since 2009. Vernon Davis failed to log a single reception for the first time this season, meanwhile Michael Crabtree surpassed the century mark for the first time in 2013 with 102 yards receiving on five receptions. While it's not yet known if Candlestick has seen its final game ever given a playoff game is still possible, if this was the 'Stick's last game, it sure was a classic and is one Niner fans will have stashed away in their memory for quite some time. Since 1950, no team has won as many games in their home stadium as the 49ers have in Candlestick Park (205).

Week 17 Preview: With San Francisco now 11-4 on the year and officially in the playoffs, Sunday's regular season finale in Arizona to face the Cardinals is no longer a must win game but a win could definitely improve their seeding. With the NFC's number one seed still a possibility if both Seattle and Carolina lose on Sunday and San Francisco wins, coach Harbaugh's squad will undoubtedly head into battle with a 'win or go home' mentality. The same could be said in regards to the NFC Western Division crown which is still up for grabs. But Sunday's foe will be playing for more than just a number, they'll be playing for their playoff livelihood. Currently standing at 10-5 on the year, the Arizona Cardinals are playing as well as anybody right now having won three in a row and four out of their last five. A 49ers win on Monday was especially important because the Cardinals are playing with as much confidence as anybody after doing what no team has done since 2011 when they went into Seattle and came out victorious. With the eyes of Arizona's head coach Bruce Arians set on a playoff berth in his first year at the helm, a win would also do wonders for his chances of taking home Coach of the Year honors. Expect a physical game dominated by defense that could very well come down to the final possession.


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