Stingy 49ers Hold Down Drew Brees, Saints 36-32.What better way to celebrate the anniversary of 30 years of "The Catch".Joe Montana to Dwight Clark then.
Alex Smith to Vernon Davis now.
Smith completed a touchdown pass of 14 yards to Davis with nine seconds left just after Drew Brees has the Saints high-powered future, and the resurgence of San Francisco capitalized on five turnovers New Orleans to win a thrilling 36 - 32 in the playoffs Saturday.
"It's huge for us," Davis said. "This is history, legend, whatever you can describe."
Smith ran for a TD from 28 yards with 2:11 left and threw another scoring pass to Davis in the first quarter. Coach Jim Harbaugh has NFC West champions (14-3) has shown that punch, stingy defense can still win in the modern world, the NFL wide open, taking off one of the most dynamic offenses League .
Brees completed a touchdown pass of 66 yards to Jimmy Graham with 1:37 left and the Saints appeared ready to rally from an early 17-point deficit, while Smith and Davis delivered again. It was a wild back-and-forth duel finish with passing impressive moments on the decline.
Their show highlight came in the box opposite end where Clark caught a 6-yard stretched Montana January 10, 1982. Saturday winning goal by leaping Davis - who plowed a defender as he landed - came to the end zone even as Steve Young hit Terrell Owens for winning TD with 3 seconds left in a 30-27 wild-card victory over the Packers in the playoffs in 1999. TO Grab they became known as "The Catch II."
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How this?
"You have to call the catch," Davis said of his play. "We were down. I had to do to make my teammates, we want to go. "
San Francisco has triumphed in his first playoff game in nine years, rising to face the New York Giants and the defending champion Green Bay Packers, who play Sunday. A victory by the Giants would give the 49ers the field at home.
The 49ers snatched another victory at the last second in a season full of them - and one day the former coach George Seifert served as honorary captain for the coin toss. San Francisco came from behind for the five regular season wins, four on the road.
Davis, who cried on the bench after day after saying he was overwhelmed by the first thick playbook Harbaugh, finished with seven catches for 180 yards. It was received the most yards by a tight end in a playoff game. He averaged 25.7 yards per catch.
Brees a big up down the stretch as he did through a record season, also hit Darren SPROLS a 44-yard TD with 4:02 remaining - one of SPROLS '15 catches for 119 yards.
"It stings right now because of the level anticipated that we had coming into this tournament and the understanding that if we win here we are in the NFC championship game and anything can happen," said Brees. “It’s hard. It's hard to swallow right now. "
The 49ers have also shown that the defense can still dominate in the days of passersby as big as Brees.
Donte Whitner with making the hits and bruises Dashon Goldson, Patrick Willis and fellow defensive pressure and forcing turnovers Brees from every angle, surprising San Francisco is one victory away from returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since the capture fifth championship proud franchise after the 1994 season.
Brees, whose team was coming off consecutive 600-yard games, completed 40 of 63 passes for 462 yards and four touchdowns and was sacked three times. He also threw two interceptions, his first in the playoffs in five years, and New Orleans (14-4) below again in his quest to return to the Super Bowl after winning every two years. The Saints are always looking for road playoff victory in the history of franchise after falling to 0-5.
"Kind of unbelievable game the way it came and went," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said. "It's obviously a difficult game to lose."
To what extent these 49ers have come since the 24-3 thrashing they took over in August at the Superdome in the opening exhibition of the teams. Now, Harbaugh is "Who has done better than us No body!" group comparisons in the old days of Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Steve Young. And of course, Dwight Clark, who returned with "The Catch" to beat Dallas in the NFC Championship Game, January 10, 1982.
All-Pro David Akers, the veteran of the Niners' playoff most experienced, including 44 field goals set a record in one season, managed three more when it mattered most - 25 meters, 41 and 37.
The 49ers made the big plays outsider on both sides of the ball and on special teams.
"The guys were so confident, as long as we had time we had a shot," said Smith.
They also had a full house of towel waving behind them 69,732 at Candlestick Park on a beautiful sunny winter day in the Bay Area. It was 62 degrees at kickoff.
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who that? All Saints is headed home to the Big Easy empty-handed.
A year ago, New Orleans came in the West and has suffered a loss of wonder that the Seattle Seahawks 7-9 in the NFC wild-card round.
The Saints have lost five escaped all season, and gave three on Saturday against opportunistic defense in San Francisco that has pressed all day.
Harbaugh theme of "do not overcook," rang true as the 49ers relied on what has here - perhaps the best defense in the league and task forces.
Brees led the Saints near the goal line on their opening drive, but Pierre Thomas lost a fumble and was lost for the game with a head injury after being struck by Whitner. Two other turnovers came on special teams.
Smith, the No. 1 pick overall 2005 project so often booed his first six seasons, hit Davis on a touchdown pass of 49 yards in the first quarter and Michael Crabtree strike four yards as the 49ers jumped to a quick 17 - 0 lead. He finished 24-42 for 299 yards and a 103.2 passer rating.
"This shows that it becomes an elite quarterback. I'm glad that the world could see what he did today," said Willis.
Smith and his offense were determined to make their mark on these playoffs after being neglected for the entire season, and showed some style of their own. Davis tempered football on the goal post after his score to the play of the Niners' most important on the main stage of the NFL since rallying to stun the New York Giants in January 2003.
Brees threw two interceptions in the first half and had his NFL record streak of 226 passes without an interception sets off on Gold son pick in the first quarter. Brees streak "dated NFC championship game against Chicago five years ago.
But he hit a well-kept Graham for a jump of 14-yard touchdown catch at the 9:32 mark of the second quarter and was completed with 25 yards to Marques Colston to send the Saints into halftime trailing only 17-14.
Any momentum gained in New Orleans was injured when the man forced Colin Jones SPROLS back to search after the 49ers punted on their first possession of the second half. This is the goal set up Akers second field of the day.
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