One week you love Alex Smith, the next week he's back on the chopping block.
In retrospect, the San Francisco 49ers played astronomically beyond their talents this season. Probably nobody knows this more than Jim Harbaugh. But I imagine he still must be distraught over Sunday’s 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship. I know 49ers fans are.
One can only look at Alex Smith and marvel at the 49ers’ turnaround season. With Smith at the helm, the franchise was teetering on edge in all of its 18 games. Could he make the big throw? Will he make the throw? Will the season go down in flames because of him? He transcended all of that, helping the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season and a stellar divisional playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints. And yet, still, the 49ers faltered.
Blame Kyle Williams if you want, but there were way too many plays left on the field against the Giants. And Smith, in my opinion, is just as worthy of fault as Williams.
Sunday’s NFC Championship was much like the 49ers’ Thanksgiving Day game against the Baltimore Ravens. The 49ers made too many mistakes to survive. The fumble by Williams in overtime stands out, but when Smith starting playing target practice with the ankles of his receivers to begin two straight drives in the fourth quarter, there was more than a bit of trepidation seeping in the building. Smith’s final line was 12 of 26 passing for 126 yards and two touchdowns. If one didn’t know any better, you’d think the team in red and gold was playing with its backup under center.
However, in keeping with the 49ers’ theme of the year — stellar defense, mediocre offense — the team somehow fought its way into a position to win the game, pushing the Giants into overtime despite going three-and-out on two straight possessions with less than five minutes left in regulation. An inability to punch it into the end zone literally murdered the 49ers’ chance at Super Bowl XLVI.
Forget Williams. Get over that. It was a team loss, one marked by a deficient offense and tired defense. But what you can’t forget is that the 49ers went 14-4 despite what we all knew to be a limited team. It’s because of their phenomenal success that this year has been so satisfying for football fans, whether you’re from the Bay or not.
The loss to the Giants is not the first time the 49ers have disappointed me — and it surely won’t be the last. But this season also happens to have provided some surprises, for the better. I can live with that.
