Road to the Super Bowl: San Francisco 49ers

By Arun Srinivasan, sportsnet.ca

With the Super Bowl XLVII less than a week away, sportsnet.ca takes a look at the San Francisco 49ers’ road to New Orleans.

What happened last year:

San Francisco entered last season with relatively low expectations, as some media outlets had them finishing last in the NFC West. However, under the tutelage of new head coach Jim Harbaugh, the team excelled and took the league by storm with a 13-3 record.

The 49ers squared off against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional round in San Francisco. Led by a tour-de-force performance from Alex Smith, the 49ers defeated the Saints 36-32 in a thriller, as Smith connected on a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining. After the game, Davis broke down into tears, embracing Harbaugh in a moment that symbolized the 49ers ascension from mediocrity to a contender.

With the victory, the 49ers hosted tje New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. It was a hard-hitting, physical game that will be best remembered for kick returner Kyle Williams’ abysmal performance on special teams, fumbling two punts, the second occurring in overtime.

With Williams’ mistake, the Giants set up a 26-yard field goal for Lawrence Tynes, who made the kick to send the Giants to the Super Bowl. It was a heartbreaking defeat for what looked like a championship-calibre team.

49ers season in review:

The 49ers came back seeking revenge and started the season against reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field . Alex Smith threw for two touchdowns and 211 yards to lead the 49ers to a 30-22 win over Green Bay on the road. Although kicker David Akers had a tough year, he connected on a 63-yard field goal in the campaign opener.

The team would follow up with 27-19 win over the Detroit Lions in their home opener in Week 2, before dropping a surprising 24-13 decision to the upstart Minnesota Vikings.

San Francisco would respond to its first loss with a 34-0 blanking of the New York Jets on the road, and the team’s outstanding defence was highlighted by a 51-yard fumble return for a touchdown by cornerback Carlos Rogers. The 49ers would continue to humiliate the AFC East with a 45-3 rout over the Buffalo Bills the following week.

Matched up against the New York Giants in Week 6, the 49ers had an opportunity for redemption against a team that capitalized on its opportunities in last year’s NFC Championship Game. However, unbefitting of the team’s strong resolve, San Francisco played its worst game of the season as the Giants dominated from start to finish in a 26-3 blowout.

Undeterred by its poor performance, San Francisco entered the bye week with two consecutive victories over division rivals Seattle and Arizona.

If one were to guess which opponent consistently gave the 49ers the toughest test, few would guess the St. Louis Rams. However, the 49ers struggled to close out St. Louis coming out of the bye week, resulting in the league’s lone tie of the season, with a 24-24 result. St. Louis would later push the 49ers to overtime once again in Week 13, before defeating San Francisco 16-13.

Colin Kaepernick was named the team’s starter for the rest of the year in a game against the Chicago Bears, and much of the national media attention was focused on whether Harbaugh made the right decision. Despite the national spotlight of a Monday Night Football game against the Bears, Kaepernick played like a ten-year veteran and alleviated the concerns of a worrisome public in the Bay Area.

Kaepernick was outstanding once again under the national spotlight, commanding the team to a 41-34 win over the torrid New England Patriots. Looking composed beyond his years, Kaepernick threw for four touchdowns, and cemented his status as the leader of the offence in this game.

After getting shellacked by Seattle 42-13, the 49ers closed out its season with a 27-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, finishing with a record of 11-4-1, good for the second seed in the NFC.

San Francisco ended the season with a number of individual accomplishments, as nine players were named both to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team.

How the 49ers got to the Super Bowl:

After finishing with the second-best record in the NFC, the 49ers earned a bye through the Wild Card round.

So the 49ers started the playoffs as they did the regular season, against the Green Bay Packers. However, with Kaepernick at the helm, the Packers were not able to game plan against the 49ers as they had done against Smith. In the process, Kaepernick put on a brilliant display, setting the record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 181 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding two scores through the air.

San Francisco’s next opponent was the Atlanta Falcons, who were buoyed by a raucous home crowd. Atlanta’s prolific offence jumped out to a 17-0 lead, before Kaepernick helped the 49ers chip away and bring them back from a miserable start. The 17-point deficit was the largest any team has overcome in the NFC Championship Game.

Like most offensive lines, the 49ers’ group often is forgotten about, but the unit cemented its status as a powerhouse by engineering a running game that led to three touchdowns on the ground, two by Frank Gore. The 49ers defence was able to contain Ryan after a blistering first half, and the team will now make its first Super Bowl appearance since 1994, where Steve Young threw for a Super Bowl-record six touchdowns.

Turning point of the season: Kaepernick gets the nod

San Francisco shocked the NFL when they announced that Colin Kaepernick would replace the efficient Smith as the team’s starting quarterback in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears. The Nevada alum responded with 2 touchdowns, against zero interceptions in a 32-7 rout of the Chicago Bears.

Kaepernick had shown glimpses early on in the year, being used exclusively in his own ‘Pistol’ package. Prior to replacing the injured Smith, Kaepernick had already run for three touchdowns and was considered another option in a venerable 49ers rushing attack.

Nonetheless, no one expected the second-year quarterback to supplant Smith as the starter at this point in time.

After being patient with Smith’s early struggles, it appeared that he had reached his ceiling and wasn’t able to provide the downfield throws Harbaugh was looking for in his offence. Smith’s concussion opened the doors for Harbaugh to make the switch.

Right away, Kaepernick infused the passing attack with a vertical offence, and made throws that Smith didn’t have the arm strength to attempt. With the 25-year-old at the helm, wide receiver Michael Crabtree benefited greatly, and it opened up a lethal rushing game to a new avenue of play calling choices.

As the Super Bowl approaches, Harbaugh’s biggest gamble could be ultimately what leads this team to a championship.

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