With less than a week before Super Bowl Sunday, the table is now set for the big game. And what a game it should be between the league's number one scoring offense versus the league's number one scoring defense. Not only do we have a pair of number one seed's going toe to toe with one another but also a variety of intriguing story lines that leading up to the game appear to almost be bigger than the game itself. But first, allow me to introduce each team. First up we have the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks who narrowly escaped with a 23-17 win over division rival San Francisco in the NFC title game and finished the regular season with a 13-3 record under Pete Carroll. And then there's the AFC Champion Denver Broncos who also finished the regular season at 13-3 under John Fox before knocking off the New England Patriots, 26-16 for the AFC title.
With Seattle seeking their first ever Super Bowl win, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has other plans and has his eyes set on crashing the party and adding a second Super Bowl title to an already decorated resume that includes just about everything. If there's any argument deterring Peyton Manning from the greatest quarterback of all-time discussion, it's the fact that he's only been able to hoist one Lombardi Trophy throughout his career. Something he hopes to change come Sunday. Despite his greatness and the number of achievements, Manning has been standing in the shadow cast by the handful of quarterbacks who have won multiple championships, his brother Eli being one of them. Having set numerous records this season at the helm of the Broncos including most single-season touchdowns (55) and passing yards (5,477), Peyton will in fact set another record when he's awarded his fifth MVP Award at the conclusion of the NFL season, a record he set in 2009. In what's being regarded as the best season by a quarterback in NFL history will mean far less to him if he's unable to put the final cherry on top -- a second Super Bowl title.
As rumors start to swirl of this possibly being Manning's last game due to the ongoing neck problems he's been having, this game could very well determine the legacy of one Peyton Manning. And what better way to go out than on top like his boss -- John Elway who 15 years ago retired after winning back to back Super Bowl titles with the same Broncos franchise. The only difference is Peyton would become the first QB in NFL history to win Super Bowl titles with two different clubs. And with the game being played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, the home shared by the New York Giants and Jets, who better to receive a few helpful hints than from Peyton's younger brother Eli who knows a thing or two about playing quarterback in the stadium playing host to the Super Bowl. One thing Eli won't be able to help his big brother prepare for, however, is Seattle's stout defense. With Peyton yet to be sacked this postseason, the Broncos offensive line will face their toughest task yet come Sunday.
If Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense is story line 1.A, then Richard Sherman and the Seahawks defense is definitely story line 1.B. Boasting the league's best turnover ratio as well as the best trash talker in Sherman, Seattle's defense looks to prevent Peyton from adding a second Super Bowl ring to that crowded trophy case of his. Better known as the "Legion of Boom," Seattle's swarming secondary will gladly welcome the challenge presented by Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense. After all, they do say defense is what wins championships. But that's not to say Sherman and company won't have their hands full as Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas all figure to create some trouble in the passing game. Aside from defense, something else that favors the Seahawks despite having no Super Bowl appearance on their entire roster, is history. Though Denver averaged an NFL record 37.9 points per game and became the first team to ever score more than 600 points in a season, all eight of the highest-scoring teams in NFL history have failed to win the Super Bowl.
But regardless of Seattle's stout defense, they have no chance of winning if they can't put points up on the board which brings us to Peyton's counterpart, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson who on Sunday will become just the sixth second-year QB to start a Super Bowl. Unlike Manning, Wilson serves as a duel-threat quarterback who is just as dangerous with his feet as he is with his arm. His recent transformation into becoming one of the more conservative QB's in the league over the second half of the season and even more so in the last few games, however, is a bit of a cause for concern given it'll prevent him from being able to answer Peyton blow for blow on offense if say a shootout where to break out. We've all heard how the cold, moist weather will favor the defense which once again leans toward Seattle, but Manning who won his only Super Bowl title in the rain, won't have to deal with the elements any more or any less than Wilson will. Not to mention Wilson won't have the support of the 12th Man to rely on granted Sunday will mark the first game away from Seattle in over a month and a half for the Seahawks (December 15).
What I think will be even more important than Seattle's defense on Sunday though is their offense. The key to the game for the Seahawks will be keeping Peyton off the field and what better way to succeed in doing that than with extended drives of their own by utilizing their most dangerous weapon on offense in running back Marshawn Lynch who I think will be the x-factor in Sunday's game. If Denver's defense which seems to be forgotten about in all of this can shutdown Lynch or at least contain him by keeping him away from his bag of Skittles and make him vanish like he did on media day, they can make it difficult for Seattle's offense, forcing Wilson to carry the load and get it done through the air which is more of a last resort for them. Without arguably their best defensive player in Von Miller, Denver held a Patriots rush attack to 64 total yards in the AFC Championship after LaGarrette Blount exploded for 166 yards alone in New England's previous game. With Lynch being the x-factor, Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno could very well be the dark horse given so much attention will be drawn toward Peyton and the passing game that Denver could be the ones in store for a big game on the ground.
Prediction: After experiencing defeat in his last attempt at a Super Bowl title in 2009 while with the Indianapolis Colts, I don't see anything getting in the way of Peyton adding another piece of hardware to his resume this time around. With everything from the number of records set on offense to John Fox coaching his team to a Super Bowl after undergoing heart surgery earlier in the season and Peyton in position to finalize his legacy, the Denver Broncos just seem like a team of destiny at this point. Not to mention the weather forecast for Sunday that was first thought to spell doom for Peyton and the passing game has only gotten better over the last week or so. And whether or not it'll be the last time we see no.18 on a playing field, expect to see him at the podium hosting the Lombardi Trophy as Denver kisses the ghost of John Elway goodbye and proves to be too much for the Seahawks on neutral ground, 31-20.
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Since the start of the Super Bowl era, no team has ever won road games in four consecutive weeks and on Sunday, the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers had a chance to become the first. Having prided themselves as the league's best road team over the last month, Jim Harbaugh and company took a stroll to the one place he's had the least success -- Seattle's CenturyLink Field where they'd face off with the division rival Seahawks for the NFC crown. And though Seattle is known as the home of the '12th Man', the crowd was virtually sucked out of the game for much of the first half and was caught by surprise on the first play of the game. From hard hits to poor officiating, big plays to drama and everything in between, this game would have it all and would be everything one could possibly ask for in a championship game. With the 49ers winning the coin toss and electing to defer, Seattle took over on offense to start the game. Or at least they would try as Aldon Smith got to Seahawks QB Russell Wilson on the opening play, forcing and recovering a fumble.
With the intensity the 49er defense opened the game with, you would've thought San Francisco was the home team to start. But like Seattle's offense that was shaky to start, the crowd would eventually make their presence felt as the 49ers were only able to turn Wilson's early miscue into a field goal. Two drives later, however, San Francisco would put together the drive they've been longing for and were unable to accomplish in their earlier meeting in Seattle this season. With running back Frank Gore virtually a non-factor and Kaepernick's options through the air on lock down virtually all game long by Seattle's top-ranked defense, the speedy QB was forced to take matters into his own hands on a number of occasions with his feet. A 58-yard run by Kaepernick to start the second quarter would put him over the 100-yard mark, making him the first player since Thurman Thomas (1994) to compile 100+ rush yards in the first half of a championship game. It would be the longest rush by a QB in NFL postseason history as well as the longest rush allowed by Seattle all season.
The big gain would set up Anthony Dixon who on fourth down leaped over the defense and into the end zone from a yard out to give San Francisco a 10-0 lead. It would cost them, however, as Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati would leave the game with a broken fibula on the play. His loss would be detrimental as Kaepernick and the 49ers deserted the run game in the second half. The Seahawks would respond by finally getting on the board before the end of the first half as Russell Wilson scrambled in and out of the pocket before firing a 51-yard pass to receiver Doug Baldwin, setting up Steven Hauschka for the 32-yard field goal to cut the deficit. While it was the 49ers who opened the game as the aggressor, it would be Seattle who would strike first in the second half as Marshawn Lynch better known as "Best Mode" would get his first dose of Skittles as he torched the 49er defense for a 40-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 10. Similar to Seattle who allowed their biggest run of the season earlier in the game to Kaepernick, the 40-yard run by Lynch would be the longest rush allowed by the 49ers since the start of the Harbaugh era in 2011.
That wouldn't prevent the 49er offense from answering right back as Kaepernick aired out one of the more impressive passes of the season when he made a leaping toss into the end zone where he found Anquan Boldin from 26 yards out for the touchdown. But poor execution on the ensuing kick by the 49er special-teams which had been stellar all day up to that point, would allow a 69-yard return to Seahawks kick returner Doug Baldwin as Seattle walked away with another Haushka field goal to make it a 17-13 ballgame. After a 49er three and out, Seattle would benefit from a blown call late in the third quarter when San Francisco kicker Andy Lee was hit on his plant leg while punting. What should have been a 15 yard roughing the kicker penalty that would've gave San Francisco the first down, was instead called a 5 yard running into the kicker penalty. A call that would prove to be costly as Seattle scored the go-ahead touchdown just moments later. On fourth and seven, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll would elect to go for it, a gutsy decision that would pay off as Russell Wilson capitalized on an offsides penalty by Aldon Smith, turning a free-play into the go-ahead touchdown as Jermaine Kearse made a leaping grab in traffic from 35 yards out.
What was an ugly fourth quarter for the 49ers to start would only get worse as Kaepernick was sacked and stripped of the ball by Seattle's Cliff Avril on their ensuing possession, recovered by the Seahawks. The first of three straight fourth quarter possessions plagued by turnover. A crucial delay of game penalty would turn a third and one opportunity into third and six which would've most likely prevented the fumble. With Seattle threatening to score starring down the end zone inside the 10, the 49ers would witness their star linebacker in NaVorro Bowman sustain a gruesome injury to his left knee after stripping the ball away from Kearse. Despite clearly gaining full possession of the ball, Seattle was awarded the ball back as the play was non-reviewable. Bowman would have to be carted off the field where a handful of fans showered him with popcorn on his way to the locker room. Having to play without their best player on defense, the 49ers would catch a break on the following play as a botched hand-off attempt from Wilson to Lynch would result in a turnover on downs.
The 49ers would give it right back, however, as Kaepernick's pass intended for Boldin was picked off by Kam Chancellor which Seattle turned into another field goal. Trailing 23-17 with 3:37 remaining and all three timeouts left, the fate of San Francisco's season would lie in the hands of their starting quarterback and one final drive. Starting at their own 22 yard line, the 49ers would march all the way down to the Seattle 18. But with 30 seconds remaining and the clock still ticking despite coach Harbaugh having two timeouts to play with, Kaepernick's late game heroics would come to a screeching halt as a would-be game-winning touchdown pass intended for Michael Crabtree was tipped by Seahawks corner Richard Sherman and intercepted by Malcolm Smith, sealing the win and sending Seattle to only their second Super Bowl in franchise history. Kaepernick who took blame for the loss during his postgame interview, threw for 153 yards and a touchdown and added another 130 yards on the ground, but combined for three turnovers on the day, all coming in the last 11 minutes of the fourth quarter as San Francisco lost its second NFC Championship in three years and first game in over two months.
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Standing in the way of Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers making a third straight NFC Championship appearance on Sunday was Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. Seeking revenge for a 10-9 loss suffered at Home while shorthanded against Carolina in Week 10, the 49ers entered their NFC Divisional round meeting with the Panthers as the league's most dominant road team. Having won seven consecutive games entering Sunday, four of which on the road, the 49ers made themselves feel right at home against an inexperienced Carolina team coming off a first-round BYE.
Niners QB Colin Kaepernick who was held to less than 100 yards passing in the Week 10 meeting vs the Panthers, got things started early on offense as San Francisco opened the game with a 49-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. As for Kaepernick's QB counterpart -- Cam Newton making his playoff debut would make a number of early mistakes, showing jitters on Carolina's first possession as Patrick Willis came up with an interception on a tipped pass that was thrown behind the intended receiver. Despite the good field position, the 49ers would once again have to settle for a field goal, taking a 6-0 lead. It would be a sign of bad things to come for the Panthers who for the first time all year would allow points on each of their opponents first two possessions. After the early mishap, Carolina stringed together a series of first downs on the ensuing drive before being stuffed on the 1-yard line. Facing fourth and 1, Newton talked coach Ron Rivera better known as "Riverboat Ron" into going for it. The Panthers coach would stick true to his name and take the gamble, only to see his QB get stopped in his tracks as the San Francisco defense denied him of the touchdown from 1 yard out with the goal-line stand.
But just like they did last week against Green Bay, the 49ers would witness a 6-0 lead evaporate into thin air as Carolina stormed right back with a go-ahead touchdown pass from Newton to receiver Steve Smith from 31-yards out. However, it would be their only touchdown on the day as Carolina would be stood up on the 1-yard line for the second time in the game before walking away with a field goal to make it a 10-6 Panthers lead. But San Francisco would steal the lead back and regain momentum heading into the half as Kaepernick repeatedly fed wide-out Anquan Boldin with pass after pass before connecting with Vernon Davis in the corner of the end zone for the go-ahead score. The catch was initially ruled incomplete but the officials would review the play and eventually signal for the touchdown as Davis clearly dragged his back foot in bounds before stepping out, giving the 49ers a 13-10 lead heading into the half. The flashes of offense Carolina showed in the first half would be nonexistent in the second half, meanwhile San Francisco stuck to their game plan on offense as Kaepernick hit Boldin with a 45-yard reception that set the 49ers up inside the 5-yard line before Kaepernick took it in himself to add to his team's lead.
Kaepernick who shared dorm rooms with Cam Newton in 2011 during the NFL combine and was taken 35 spots behind the Carolina QB in the NFL Draft which he didn't take kind to, gave Newton what he described as a "shout out" by putting the finishing touches on his touchdown run by mocking Newton's signature Superman celebration before giving it a twist followed by his signature kiss of the bicep. Antics that you would normally declare out of line were anything but in this chippy contest as it was Carolina who opened the game with an attitude. But like their offense, that attitude would also disappear in the second half as the Panthers found themselves trailing, 23-10. Any chance Carolina had of pulling off the comeback would be wiped out late in the fourth quarter as Newton sailed a pass over the head of his tight-end Greg Olsen, intercepted by Donte Whitner, sealing the 49ers dominant second half and more importantly the victory as San Francisco scored 17-unanswered points to close out the game.
For the second straight contest, Colin Kaepernick didn't exactly log an awe-inspiring performance through the air but he got the job done, completing 15 of 28 pass attempts for 196 yards, 136 of them to Anquan Boldin on 8 receptions, and a touchdown while adding only 15 yards rushing. Aside from Boldin, no other 49er receiver hauled in more than three receptions or logged more than 30 yards receiving on the day. Running back Frank Gore contributed 84 yards on the ground on 17 carries.
With the win, the 49ers have now punched their ticket to the NFC Championship for the third consecutive season and become the first team to reach at least three straight conference championships since the Philadelphia Eagles made four consecutive appearances from 2001-04. Jim Harbaugh also becomes the first coach in NFL history to reach three consecutive title games in his first three seasons at the helm. Since their last loss in Week 12, the 49ers have been on a roll winning 8 straight with a point-differential of +81.
NFC Championship Preview: The 49ers win over Carolina now sets up a showdown between two defensive heavyweights in Seattle and San Francisco, a match-up fans have been licking their chops for since the start of the season. Not only will Sunday's game feature two teams and fan bases that dislike each other but a pair of coaches that dislike one another as well dating back to Harbaugh's time at Stanford and Pete Carroll's stay at USC. Since Kaepernick took over the reigns of the starting quarterback position, the 49ers are a perfect 3-0 in road playoff games and have already eclipsed the win total of Joe Montana and Steve Young combined who finished 1-7 in road playoff games while under center in San Francisco. But his next task will be by far the hardest as the 49ers take a stroll to the familiar but unfriendly confines of Seattle's CenturyLink Field, a place Kaepernick has played in twice and left empty handed both times as Seattle outscored San Francisco by a combined score of 71-16. Usually the story line when these two teams meet is a lot like this: the home team wins. A trend the 49ers plan to change now that they've got some unfinished business in mind and are looked upon as being the league's most prominent road team.
Could the third time be a charm for Kaepernick and co.? If so, the 49ers can become the first team in the Super Bowl era to win road games in four consecutive weeks. However, it won't be easy to accomplish and could very well come down to how well they defend Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch. The 49ers who haven't allowed a 100 yard rusher all season long, know they'll have their work cut out for them on Sunday as they face a tall order in Lynch who owns three 100-yard performances against the 49ers dating back to 2011. Another factor will be how well the San Francisco offense can block out the noise level created by Seattle's raucous crowd, something that'll be easier said than done considering the Seahawks box office banned ticket sales to California natives in hopes of keeping 49er fans as far away from the game as possible. One thing the 49ers won't have to worry about, however, is Seahawks receiver Percy Harvin who will miss Sunday's game with a concussion. With two of the game's brightest young quarterbacks in Kaepernick and Russell Wilson set to take center stage and face off against one another, the game could very well come down to which QB can out perform the other down the stretch and not turn the ball over.
As we seen demonstrated in Week 16 when the Arizona Cardinals left the hostile environment of the 12th Man with a win, Seattle, like any team can be beaten at home. But given it'll be a playoff atmosphere, the odds will be that much harder to overcome. A challenge coach Harbaugh and his team will gladly welcome. Don't expect a shortage of trash-talking in this one. #QuestForSix
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Not even the frigid temperatures of Lambeau Field's frozen tundra could cool down Colin Kaepernick and the red-hot San Francisco 49ers. Winners of six straight, Jim Harbaugh's 49ers inched a bit closer to a third consecutive Conference Championship on Sunday after marching into Green Bay to face the NFC North's best in a rematch of last year's NFC Division round meeting. With temperatures in the single-digits (4 degrees) and wind chills that made it feel like -14 in the seventh coldest game in NFL history, very few gave San Francisco a chance heading into Sunday's game mainly due to the elements that awaited them. But little did they know the 49ers had a bad weather quarterback all along. With Packers head coach Mike McCarthy unable to solve the duel-threat Kaepernick in his first two tries, he had his fingers crossed hoping the third time would be a charm. Instead he would be left shaking his head once again.
Having established career-high's in both passing and rushing against the Green Bay Packers in his first two games facing them, Kaepernick continued his dominance against the team he grew up rooting for by beating them for the third time in as many tries. With the first two wins coming at home in Candlestick Park, the Wisconsin native completed the trifecta by beating the Packers on the road in the iconic Lambeau Field, the stadium he grew up hoping to one day call home. With a majority of the damage being done by foot in last year's NFC Division round triumph which saw Kaepernick rush for a QB record 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns, the 49ers QB switched things up in the season-opener this year by putting on an aerial assault and throwing for 412 yards and a trio of TD's. Kaepernick would do a little bit of both on Sunday, throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 98 despite the freezing temperatures to once again overcome the Packers and send his team deeper into the playoffs. What may be most impressive is that he didn't need gloves or long sleeves to get the job done.
In a game that saw five lead changes, both teams would exchange punches in the fourth quarter before eventually being decided in the final seconds. San Francisco jumped out to an early lead and would be in control on both sides of the ball throughout the opening-quarter. After forcing a three and out on each of Green Bay's first three possessions to open the game, Kaepernick would orchestrate drives of 13 and 11 plays on offense while mostly feeding wide-out Michael Crabtree but would be held to a field goal both times. It wouldn't be until the start of the second quarter when Green Bay would finally get a whiff of their first first down of the game. With the 49er offense on the Green Bay 29 yard line and once again marching down the field with ease, Kaepernick would make one of his only mistakes on the day when he lofted a pass along the right sideline intended for Vernon Davis that was picked-off and brought back 17 yards by Tramon Williams. Like a flip of the switch, the turnover would breathe life into the Packers offense who up to that point had fewer yards than Williams gained on his interception return.
Suddenly Green Bay was able to move the ball on offense as quarterback Aaron Rodgers was finally able to connect for his first completion in the game. The drive that saw 14 plays would last over seven minutes before being capped off by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson, just out of the reach of San Francisco defender Tremaine Brock, giving Green Bay a 7-6 lead. The 49ers would waste little time before answering back with a score of their own, however, as Kaepernick found an opening for a 42 yard gain before being brought down. Two plays later, running back Frank Gore would put his team back on top with a 10 yard touchdown run up the gut. Trailing 13-7, the Packers would pull within three by adding a Mason Crosby field goal at the end of the half. With nothing to show for from either team in the third quarter, Green Bay would strike first in the second half as fullback John Kuhn plowed into the end zone from a yard out to give the Packers the 17-13 advantage.
But like Kuhn's failed Lambeau leap attempt, Green Bay's lead wouldn't hold for long. Colin Kaepernick would need only 4 plays and a minute 45 to recapture the lead as he found tight-end Vernon Davis for the first time all game with a 28 yard touchdown pass that split two Packer defenders. Green Bay would answer with another field goal to tie it but would make the mistake of leaving too much time on the clock for the 49ers. With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kaepernick would demonstrate the patience of a veteran quarterback by making numerous plays in the clutch all while managing the clock, allowing second after precious second to tick away and giving only his team the chance of winning it in regulation. San Francisco would get a scare from their QB late in the game, however, when Kaepernick flung a pass intended for Boldin that was nearly intercepted with 4:14 left in the game. Though it wouldn't prove to be costly, it would be the final mistake of the game for Kaepernick who several plays later would make arguably the biggest play of the game.
Facing 3rd and 8 with 1:17 remaining, the 49ers were in need of another ten yards if they had plans of giving Phil Dawson a try at a go-ahead field goal attempt. Kaepernick faked a pass and broke free for an 11-yard pickup to get the first down. Frank Gore who finished the game with 66 yards rushing, would add another 12 yards on four straight carries to set up Dawson for the game-winning field goal. And from 33 yards out, Dawson would split the uprights and send his team on to the second round with the 23-20 win. Michael Crabtree would lead all receivers with 125 yards on 8 receptions in his best game back since severely tearing his Achilles tendon back in April. The 49er defense held Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers in check for the most part, holding him to just 177 yards passing and one touchdown on 17 of 26 pass attempts. Similar to Rodgers who grew up a die-hard 49ers fan and has said in the past that he gets an extra jolt when playing against his favorite childhood team who passed on him in the 2005 NFL Draft, it seems Kaepernick also gets a bit of added motivation when playing against the Packers. In his three career starts against Green Bay, Kaepernick has averaged 300.7 yards passing as well as 100.3 yards rushing while logging a passer rating of 101.2.
NFC Division Round Preview: With a date against the (12-4) Carolina Panthers scheduled in the NFC Divisional round, the 49ers will try to continue their recent dominance on the road where they've won four straight and seven in a row overall. But by no means will San Francisco have an easy task on Sunday when they take their league-best 7-2 road record with them to Carolina where they'll visit the Panthers who were 7-1 on the season at home. Sunday's meeting will also be a week 10 rematch that featured little offense and plenty of defense. In the first meeting, the 49ers were kept out of the end zone for only the second time all year and witnessed a 9-0 first half lead evaporate in what ended up being a 10-9 loss at home. After allowing 10-unanswered points, Colin Kaepernick tried leading his team down the field to win it late on a last ditch effort but would eventually be picked off by the swarming Carolina defense which sealed the victory against a shorthanded 49ers team who was missing three of its key cogs.
Kaepernick would log a career-low 91 yards passing in that contest but was without both Michael Crabtree who was still recovering from a torn Achilles and Vernon Davis who left the game early with a concussion. Both of whom have been producing of late and plan to make all the difference the second time around. Also absent in the Week 10 meeting was Pro Bowl DE Aldon Smith who finished Sunday's win in Green Bay with 1.5 sacks. Although it's expected to be another hard fought game highlighted by defense, I think it's safe to say we'll be seeing more than just 19-points scored in this one. Look for both Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton to try and get things done with their feet the second time around as the big plays through the air will likely be at a minimum. Also worth noting is that their 1-point loss to Carolina in Week 10 was immediately following San Francisco's BYE week. We should be able to tell early in the game if the BYE served as a positive or a negative for a Panthers squad that has little to no playoff experience.
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Heading into Sunday's game to face the Arizona Cardinals (10-5), the 49ers who had already clinched a playoff berth, had plans of leaving the desert with a win in hopes of improving their seeding. As for the Cardinals, Carson Palmer and company needed a win against their division-rivals and a loss from the Saints in order to punch their ticket to the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, they would get neither. Winners of three in a row and four of their last five, Arizona would run into a brick wall that is the San Francisco 49ers who have beaten the Cardinals in nine of their last 10 meetings. But after squandering a 17-point lead in the first quarter, it appeared San Francisco's reign over their division foe was in danger.
After opening the game with 17 unanswered-points in the opening period by way of a Phil Dawson field goal and a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers would find themselves struggling to score again until late in the fourth quarter. But in San Francisco's dominant first quarter, Arizona would get a heavy dose of former Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin early on. Boldin who starred in three Pro Bowls over seven seasons with the Cardinals where he set numerous records (most of which he still holds to this day) before being dealt to the Ravens in 2010, would remind Cardinal fans of his talent. In his first game in Arizona as a member of the opposing-team, Boldin hauled in nine passes for 149 yards, including 109 of them on six grabs in the first quarter alone. Boldin would also be the recipient of Kaepernick's first touchdown pass on the day, a 4-yard TD setup by NaVorro Bowman who during Arizona's second drive, jumped out in front of a pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald for his second interception in as many games.
Boldin would strike again on San Francisco's following drive, catching a pass and taking it 63-yards, setting up Kaepernick who found a wide-open Vernon Davis in the end zone. Trailing by double-digits, Arizona's frustration would build as their only promising drive in the first quarter ended with the first of two missed field goals on the day by Jay Feely who's first miss went wide right from 37-yards out. The Cardinals would eventually put some points up on the board before the half, however, as Carson Palmer connected with tight-end Jake Ballard from a yard out to make it a 17-7 game. Niners kicker Phil Dawson who had made a franchise record -- 27 consecutive field goals, had a chance to improve on that mark and add to his team's lead before the half. Instead, he missed a chip-shot from 27-yards out but would later redeem himself. Arizona would open the second half much like they did the first -- sloppy, as Cardinals running back Rashard Mendenhall fumbled the ball just four plays in, recovered by NaVorro Bowman who also forced the fumble and added a sack to his stellar day.
The Cardinals would eventually bounce back and tie the game as Feely split a pair of field goal tries in the fourth quarter followed by a 34-yard touchdown pass from Palmer to wide-out Andre Roberts who made a spectacular grab to make it 17-even. The 49ers would break that tie as Phil Dawson tied a personal-best with a 56-yard field goal to pull ahead with 1:50 remaining. Palmer would march his team all the way to the 25 yard line where Feely would once again tie the game at 20-20. With 34 seconds remaining and overtime on the horizon, the 49ers were in need of a hero if they planned on winning in regulation. In this case, they would get two. On the ensuing kick, LaMichael James ran the ball back 45 yards to set up the 49ers with great field position near midfield. After an 18-yard completion to Boldin, Kaepernick would connect with one of the most unlikeliest of heroes in Quinton Patton.
The rookie wide-out out of Louisiana Tech has had little to cheer about in 2013 having battled injury all season and had only one catch to his name coming into Sunday's game. But with 18 seconds on the clock, Patton would come up with the biggest play of the day as he made a leaping 22-yard grab along the sideline to put San Francisco in field goal range. Phil Dawson would do the rest as his 40-yard field goal split the uprights as time expired, sending the 49ers who improved to 11-4 on the year into the playoffs as a 5 seed with the 23-20 victory. With San Francisco's run game virtually nonexistent, the 49ers offense was forced to go through QB Colin Kaepernick who threw for 310 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21 of 34 pass attempts. Meanwhile, Carson Palmer threw for 407 yards to go along with 2 touchdown passes and an interception, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season with three different teams (Bengals, Raiders and Cardinals).
Despite the loss, the Cardinals who fell to 10-6 on the year, have nothing to pout about under first-year head coach Bruce Arians who could very well hear his name be called for Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. In the NFL's most competitive division this year, Arians who with the help of a stout defense and an improvement at quarterback, turned the franchise from 5-11 just a year ago into a 10-win team in his first season at the helm. Only the third 10-win season for the Cardinals since the franchise relocated from St. Louis in 1988.
Playoff Preview: Currently riding a six-game win-streak into the playoffs, the longest active streak of any team in the league, Jim Harbaugh's 49ers now focus their attention on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field where they'll get set to face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday who sneaked into the playoffs at 8-7-1. Having won three straight against the reigning NFC North champs, including a 34-28 victory in the season-opener, Sunday's meeting will be a rematch of last year's NFC Division Round match up which San Francisco won by a final of 45-31. But neither of those games were played in the elements both teams will be forced to face on Sunday. With temperatures that will rival that of the 1967 Ice Bowl between the Cowboys and Packers at Lambeau (-13), the forecast for Sunday's game is expected to be below freezing with a high of -3 and a low of -19 at the time of kickoff. Not to mention wind chills close to -30 degrees. I'm no weather man but if those temperatures stick, Sunday's NFC Wild Card game will go down as the coldest playoff game in NFL history, surpassing the previous record of -13 in the aforementioned Ice Bowl.
With freezing temperatures that could shrink the pigskin among other things, we could be in store for a very sloppy, low-scoring game. Then again we could also be in store for a high-scoring, back and forth melee highlighted by poor tackling depending on which way you look at it. How it plays out, we just don't know. One thing we do know, however, is that high emotions will be brewing. Colin Kaepernick who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up a fan of both the 49ers and Packers will once again face off against Aaron Rodgers who was born and raised in northern California where he grew up a die-hard Niners fan. And though we probably won't see another record-setting performance on the ground from Colin Kaepernick who torched the Packers defense for 181 rushing yards in last year's Division round match up, we might see somewhat of a revival from the read-option which hasn't been seen too often by the 49ers this year opposed to last season. As for San Francisco, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and company will have his their hands full with Aaron Rodgers who will be seeking revenge for his team's blowout loss in last year's playoffs.
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