49ers Hold On To Beat Saints After Crazy Final Five Minutes

by Joel Thorman on Jan 15, 2012 8:55 AM CST

Believe it or not the San Francisco 49ers offense may have been the most exciting one to watch on Saturday afternoon when they hosted the New Orleans Saints in the NFC divisional round. The 49ers were able to hang on and beat the Saints, 36-32, and the final five minutes of the game were as good as you'll see in any game this year.

Let's review the final four minutes:

4:11: Darren Sproles zips through the 49ers defense en route to a 44-yard touchdown catch-and-run. Saints take the lead, 24-23.

2:18: Alex Smith goes around the left side of the offensive line and with some great blocks rolls into the end zone from 28 yards out. 49ers re-take the lead and miss the two-point conversion, 29-24.

1:48: Drew Brees hits Jimmy Graham for a 66-yard touchdown and the two-point conversion is good. Saints take the lead again, 32-29.

:14: After finding Vernon Davis on a 47-yard catch-and-run, Alex Smith hits Davis in the end zone with 14 seconds left to win the game. 49ers take the lead for the final time, 36-32.

Yeah, it was an awesome game. Back in 1998 Steve Young won a playoff game by hitting Terrell Owens with three seconds left and this game somehow, someway topped that game in terms of excitement and unbelievability.

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

saints deserve to lose

There defensive cord should be fired right when the Niners scored how you gonna play cover 1 man against davis and smith you drop into zone and make smith make throws and earn his way down the field lol you give davis one on one that’s what happens nice job saints

by rickrock58 on Jan 15, 2012 9:04 AM CST reply actions

That was helluva game!

Niners were still in it because of their defense early in the game…

by angrydeafman on Jan 15, 2012 10:20 AM CST reply actions

their DC did same thing last year

against Seattle and Hasselbeck tore them apart. When you go vanilla against most NFL QBs without rushing the QB, you’re going to lose. That loss id definitely on their D. I give props to Alex Smith, though. Let’s see if he can match this for the rest of the playoffs. If so , the 49ers have the D to win a SB.

by Nicoloco on Jan 15, 2012 1:34 PM CST reply actions