49ers Look to Restore the Glory of Their Past

The San Fancisco 49ers will attempt to reclaim the success that the legendary franchise had once been so accustomed to for decades. This Satruday afternoon at Candlestick Park also known as Bill Walsh Field, the young and inexperienced Niners will face the hottest team in the NFL in their opponent the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have looked seemingly unstoppable as of late, having won their last 9 games in a row all in impressive fashion. New Orleans juggernaut offense will face the impenetrable San Francisco defense which has yielded the least points allowed all year long, up until the final week when the Steelers narrowly stole that crown from them by averaging 14.2 to the Niners 14.3. This NFC divisional matchup will most assuredly be a war of wills, with both teams being led by strong willed coaches in Jim Harbaugh the Coach of the Year for the Niners and Sean Payton who won a Super Bowl with his Saints two years back.

So how does one stop that which is unstoppable? That is the conodrum the San Francisco defense will have to solve in order to move on to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1997. There are a multitude of factors that will decide whether the Niners can slow down the Saints. The first and most obvious one is the home field advantage that the 49ers had fought so hard for all year. In regards to the Saints, this factor is even more prevalent because they are a completely different team on the road, having suffered embarrassing road losses at Tampa Bay and at St. Louis, two of the worst teams in the league. New Orleans in the Super Dome is a well oiled machine with flawless timing, but New Orleans on grass and on the road is a different story. The home field advantage at Candlestick should be electric for a franchise that has gone almost ten years without a playoff appearance, both the Niner faithful and the players themselves believe this year they are a team of destiny.

Another overwhelming key to the game for the 49ers will be their running game. All year long the 49ers have lined up and ran the ball down their opponents throats with no remorse. They hang their hat on being a blue collar team that relishes every chance to be physical and to force their opponent into retreat by the brutality of their style. Frank Gore will need to have a clutch performance in his first playoff game of his career, similar to Marshawn Lynch last year when the Seahawks eliminated the Saints from the Playoffs. Without a doubt, the best defense for the 49ers will be a ball control clock melting offense led by Gore and Kendell Hunter. The more the Niners can run the ball, the more Drew Brees will be frustrated and cold watching from the sideline. I believe the Saints will be forced to abandon their running game early when they witness the brute force of the 49ers front seven that has allowed the least rushing yards and touchdowns all year, in fact they became the first team in league history to not allow a rushing touchdown in their first 14 games. Once the Saints make the choice to spread it out and throw on every down, that is when the Smith’s (Aldon and Justin) will be called upon to get a pass rush on Brees and help the secondary in disrupting the timing of route combinations. Not allowing any big plays will be crucial if the 49ers want to advance, and that will be the job of Dashon Goldson and Carlos Rogers, making sure nothing gets by on the back end. Look for All-Pro linebackers Navarro Bowman and Patrick Willis to freelance around the center of the field, quarterbacking their sublimely talented defesne, calling their own numbers on occasional blitzes. Also making sure that nothing crosses their radius without getting blown up!

For most of these 49ers it will be their first time playing in a playoff game. But something tells me that they won’t be alone out their on the field. Something tells me the ghosts of the past will be roaming the field, making sure this team of destiny fulfills what they have set to do since day one, in winning the franchises 6th Super Bowl. When Frank Gore carries the ball he won’t be alone, Roger Craig and Joe Perry will guiding him through the holes and into the second level breaking off big runs just as they did so many times. When Alex Smith drops back to pass it will be over the watchful eyes of Joe Montana and Steve Young, who shall will him to play like they once did in the same stadium. Vernon Davis might just catch a game winning touchdown in the corner of the end zone with Dwight Clark lifting him toward the ball. Michael Crabtree will streak across the middle and take a slant to the house as if Jerry Rice had possessed him. Aldon Smith will become the embodiment of Charles Haley and make Drew Brees day an absolute nightmare. Justin Smith will take on the double teams with the same brilliance as Bryant Young and Dana Stubblefield once did. Dashon Goldson will roam the secondary as a human missile, his radar guided by the vanishing steps of Ronnie Lott. Carlos Rogers will snatch interceptions out of the air as if Merton Hanks was dangling his neck around Candlestick again. And last but not least, Jim Harbaugh will be led to victory by the spirit of the great Bill Walsh. Bill will undoubtably be watching this game in the stadium that is named after the greatest football coach of all time. It’s time for the 49ers to get back to where they belong as kings of the NFL. When the young Niners hit the field Saturday, they must bring that same vicious and relentless mentality that has carried them up to this point, if they do that then the rest will take care of itself. This one is for Bill Walsh, Joe “The Jet” Perry, and Eddie Debartolo Jr. The forefathers will be proud after this game.

Sources

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/stats/byteam?group=Defense&cat=Total

http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=311219025


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