49ers Vs. Giants

[Defekted]

Gentlemen,

Are you ready for a CLASSIC this Sunday? For all of you youngins out there who became Giants fans in the Eli era, you should spend the next week watching old clips of this rivalry. A rivalry rooted in the 80's.

I'm talking Montana, Rice, Taylor, and Craig. I'm talking about Simms, Taylor, Leonard Marshall


1990 NFC Championship game was probably one of the most physical games played of all time. It broke my heart. The fake punt by Landetta, the fumbles (not once but TWICE) by Roger Craig on a drive that would have iced the game, and of course Howard Cross knealing in prayer as Matt Bahr kicks the winning FG. I was a 10 year old Niner fan crying while my entire family (all NY Giant fans abused me on that loss for days)..... still hurts.

I am fucking pumped. The last time our teams met, it was another classic in Candlestick in 2002, down 38-14 with a few minutes left in the 3rd, the Garcia/Owens connection brough the niners the 2nd greatest comeback in NFL playoff history.

Ok, enough history. What do you guys think? Going to be another classic? A NY blowout? Give me some quality analysis.....

Offense: Giants Edge
Defense: Niners Edge
Special Teams: Niners Edge
Coaching: Even
Home Field: Niners Edge (Being there in person last week, I can promise you that place will be a fucking madhouse)

My prediction: Niners 27-Giants 24

[Defekted]

Dont get me wrong, JPP is one of the best in the league, but there aint no way he can do this! Mind you, Smith is doing this on an ALL PRO Guard.



Mark my words, he will be defensive player of the year.

[MiKEY DOOODiE]

ah 1990 i was 7 and i remember this like it was yesterday

[MiKEY DOOODiE]

and i was there in november week 10. i can't wait to go there and take them out. they acted like they won the Super Bowl that sunday it was crazy

[beachman]

each week I keep thinking this is the week the niners crash and burn and honestly never respected them but they proved me wrong in the saints game-sadly I bet the saints and my playoff run ended thankfully not too crazy

this week I kinda feel like the giants should kill them-I just cant see the niners putting up points but sadly I have been wrong on the niners all year

[eL FryEdo]

game is gonna be tight but in the end the giants D is playing 10x better then the last time they met ... that being said im taking Eli over smith all day

[GuZzZ]

This morning in hotel, i was looking at prices for this trip. Flights and hotels were ok, but Stubhub already has triple the price the GB tix were, so i think I'll enjoy this game at the local bar lol. Should be good game with two teams who match up well.

[SlickBri481]

A classic? Other than Giant and 49ers fans, nobody wanted to see this game. Everyone wanted the Brees-Rodgers shootout. Giants-49ers is a pretty big dud of a matchup. The NFC CG does not have any of the top 3 teams in the NFC in it, kind of funny.

And I'll say in fairness, I'm sure non-Jet fans were probably not thrilled or excited over the Jets-Steelers matchup last year either, I recognize that.

As for how it will play out? Giants will win, so will the Pats, then for 2nd time in last 4 years Jet fans will be completely miserable on Super Bowl Sunday regardless of outcome. Awesome

[Forca Barca]

Gonna be great.

Obviously was getting ahead of myself, but Sat I was rooting hard for the 9ers because I knew we wouldnt have a shot against the Saints in the dome, I hope it doesnt turn into a be careful what you wish for thing LOL.

9ers are a physical team. They are a team built for the playoffs. Physical, run the ball and control the clock.

Did you see the hits Whitner was bringing? That guy lays the fucking wood. He knocked Ivory out cold on that fumble early in the game. Tough team, it's gonna be great. This is a throwback game. Fuck the spread offenses, smashmouth football is what it is about.

[Forca Barca]

A classic? Other than Giant and 49ers fans, nobody wanted to see this game. Everyone wanted the Brees-Rodgers shootout. Giants-49ers is a pretty big dud of a matchup. The NFC CG does not have any of the top 3 teams in the NFC in it, kind of funny.

And I'll say in fairness, I'm sure non-Jet fans were probably not thrilled or excited over the Jets-Steelers matchup last year either, I recognize that.

As for how it will play out? Giants will win, so will the Pats, then for 2nd time in last 4 years Jet fans will be completely miserable on Super Bowl Sunday regardless of outcome. Awesome

Wahhhh the Saints cant run four seams and line up five wide. Wahhhh they'll actually have to run the ball and play like men.

You should watch the CFL or arena league, I think that's more your speed.

[Defekted]

A classic? Other than Giant and 49ers fans, nobody wanted to see this game. Everyone wanted the Brees-Rodgers shootout. Giants-49ers is a pretty big dud of a matchup. The NFC CG does not have any of the top 3 teams in the NFC in it, kind of funny.

And I'll say in fairness, I'm sure non-Jet fans were probably not thrilled or excited over the Jets-Steelers matchup last year either, I recognize that.

As for how it will play out? Giants will win, so will the Pats, then for 2nd time in last 4 years Jet fans will be completely miserable on Super Bowl Sunday regardless of outcome. Awesome

Jesus, just when I didn't think you couldnt embarrass yourself more than you did when it was the NBA playoffs last year, the NFL season comes around and you set new highs in absurdness.

The NFL playoffs is proving you need a COMPLETE team to make it far. The Saints and Packers had the sexiest offenses known to man but Division II defences (at best). They got hit in the mouth by superior teams this weekend and they got exposed. Niners and Giants are the better teams. There is no doubt.

The Giants MANHANDLED the Pack on the road in the frozen tundra. The Saints played from behind for 3.8 quarters and needed 50 and 70 yard tds in the final 2 drives to take the lead each time.

Put it simply they are flawed teams.

Keep overlooking the Niners. They only have the most pro bowlers in the leage (8) and the most all-pros in the league (5). They are 14-3 (2 losses were by 3 points or less and 1 loss by 10). They are 9-1 at home. Best defense and special teams in the league. Offense set the all time record for least giveaways in a season with 10. Alex Smith played all 16 games and finished with 5 ints. Gore is 7th in the leage in rushing.

Giants are entering the playoffs as the scariest and hottest team. Their offense is clicking just as good as the saints and packers. Their defense is nothing to laugh at with that pass rush. Their rushing game has been a joke all year but now is finally starting to look serious. They can easily go all the way.

I think football fans hit the jackpot with this game. Going to be a heavyweight brawl.

[Defekted]

Gonna be great.

Obviously was getting ahead of myself, but Sat I was rooting hard for the 9ers because I knew we wouldnt have a shot against the Saints in the dome, I hope it doesnt turn into a be careful what you wish for thing LOL.

9ers are a physical team. They are a team built for the playoffs. Physical, run the ball and control the clock.

Did you see the hits Whitner was bringing? That guy lays the fucking wood. He knocked Ivory out cold on that fumble early in the game. Tough team, it's gonna be great. This is a throwback game. Fuck the spread offenses, smashmouth football is what it is about.

That hit by Whitner changed the entire look of the game. The Saints were marching down the field on the very first drive. Ate up 80 yards like it was pratice, then BAM, on the 2 yard line Whitner delivers the hit of the year. Thomas get knocked out cold in mid air and we get the fumble recovery. Essentially a 14 point turnaround just from that hit.




I love how Whitner walks off the field flexing his guns as the scrum for the loose ball takes place behind him. Fucking stadium went nuts.

[Defekted]

On another note, took a peak at the forecast and it really plays in the Niners favor. Its going to be a mudbowl. Downpour rain starting Wednesday and ending Monday. That field is aweful when its 66 and sunny (which was the weather for the saints game). 4 days of rain? oh man, let's see victor cruz try and dance Salsa on that field. Smashmouth football all the way. This neutralizes the biggest advantage the Giants have over the Niners - the passing game.

[SlickBri481]

On another note, took a peak at the forecast and it really plays in the Niners favor. Its going to be a mudbowl. Downpour rain starting Wednesday and ending Monday. That field is aweful when its 66 and sunny (which was the weather for the saints game). 4 days of rain? oh man, let's see victor cruz try and dance Salsa on that field. Smashmouth football all the way. This neutralizes the biggest advantage the Giants have over the Niners - the passing game.

You would think this would help, but teams have an uncanny ability to forget how to play football in playoff games against the Giants. I could easily see a multiple-INT game from Smith (even though all year he didn't do that) and someone like Gore inexplicably fumbling away opportunities.

Either way, you guys had to figure you'd be in GB or season over already at this point so anything else is gravy for 49ers. Eli will make enough plays, I don't like the way your D fell apart late in the Saints game.

[Defekted]

ESPN's Analysis of the upcoming NFC Championship:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2011...game-questions

Sunday, January 15, 2012
NFC playoff Q&A: Old-school rules
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jeffri Chadiha
ESPN.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- There is something poetic about how this postseason is shaping up in the NFC. All season long we heard endless platitudes about the explosive beauty of offensive football. Teams were throwing more than ever, scoring more than ever and making everybody believe that all you needed for a championship was a wide-open offense and a gunslinger under center. It now looks like somebody forgot to send that memo to the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. They're here because they still do things the old-fashioned way -- with bruising, ball-hawking defenses.

The 49ers were so lightly regarded heading into Saturday's NFC divisional playoff win that they used their underdog status as ample motivation to defeat the New Orleans Saints. On Sunday, the Giants traveled to Green Bay and revealed that the Packers actually weren't the same team that rolled to a 15-1 record in the regular season. So what does all this tell us now that the NFC Championship Game is set? Basically that there will be a lot of pushing, shoving, scuffling and trash-talking in Candlestick Park next Sunday.

The Giants are looking for their second Super Bowl win in five seasons and fourth overall. The 49ers are hunting for their sixth Lombardi Trophy, a feat that would feel even sweeter because they haven't been in the playoffs since 2002.

Here are the questions that will matter most before they kick it off next weekend:

1. Will the 49ers have an emotional letdown? No. As easy as it would be to think that San Francisco's 36-32 win over New Orleans took a lot out of the 49ers, you have to believe head coach Jim Harbaugh won't let that sweet taste of victory linger too long. All those tears tight end Vernon Davis shed after catching the game-winning touchdown pass from Alex Smith? He should have let those emotions go by the time he left the stadium. The elation quarterback Alex Smith felt after winning his first playoff game after years of being derided by local fans and media? He can only feel vindicated for so long. The danger for the 49ers is in letting themselves believe that Saturday's victory allowed them to tell the world how legitimate they truly are. Such thinking usually gets inexperienced teams beat in the next round and Harbaugh knows he'll need to avoid that trap. As running back Frank Gore said, "We have the right guy leading us. He knows how to get us ready to play every day and he'll do that again."

2. What can the Giants learn from their regular-season loss to the 49ers? Plenty. When the Giants return to San Francisco next weekend, they'll have the confidence of knowing how close they came to victory in Week 10. If not for a dropped pass by Mario Manningham late in that 27-20 loss -- and a tipped pass by 49ers defensive end Justin Smith on New York's final offensive play -- that contest easily could've gone into overtime and ended with a Giants win. The other thing the Giants showed in that game was the same quality that has been their calling card all season: a reluctance to wither when they trail in the fourth quarter. The Giants have been comfortable making late comebacks all season and they nearly overcame a 14-point second-half deficit in that contest. They aren't going to fold if the 49ers surge ahead early again.

3. How critical will Michael Crabtree's performance be in this game? Huge. Crabtree may be a talented wide receiver, but he was the only 49ers player on Saturday who seemed overwhelmed by the stage he was on. He dropped three passes against the Saints -- including two on one drive -- and didn't really factor into the game after his 4-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter (he wound up with four receptions for 25 yards). Crabtree seems like the type of prideful player who will use those errors as ample motivation in his next performance. If he doesn't, then the 49ers are going to have problems. The Saints' defense inexplicably let tight end Vernon Davis run wild against their secondary and New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams dialed up some of the worst-timed blitzes in playoff history. It's hard to see the Giants allowing Davis (seven receptions, 180 yards and two touchdowns) to go off like that two weeks in a row. Somebody else will have to step up in the 49ers' passing game. That person right now looks like Crabtree.

4. What kinds of problems will the Giants' defense create for the 49ers? Given that New York just stifled the defending champions on the road, it's hard to imagine the 49ers being more successful on their home turf. The last thing San Francisco wants is for the Giants' pass rush to get rolling against a 49ers offense that doesn't have many great weapons in its passing game. The Giants sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers four times Sunday and they also forced four turnovers total (three fumbles and an interception). The good news for the 49ers is that they've taken better care of the football than any team in the NFL all season (with 10 giveaways during the regular season). The bad news is that a Giants defense that struggled earlier this year is peaking at exactly the right time. If the 49ers can't control the tempo of this game on the ground -- a factor that is even more important when considering Green Bay attempted only 16 running plays -- it won't be pretty.

5. Can Justin Smith be stopped? No. It's hard to find ends in 3-4 defensive schemes who are athletic, disruptive and relentless. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Smith is all that and he makes life easier on everyone else in the 49ers' pass rush. Remember, he wasn't facing some no-name novices in Saturday's win over New Orleans. He was taking on two Pro Bowl guards (Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans) and a Pro Bowl left tackle (Jermon Bushrod). In the end, Smith gave them all fits, with Bushrod having the hardest time slowing him down. The Giants are likely to find themselves facing a similar dilemma, especially because the 11-year veteran is so determined to capitalize on this postseason appearance. "He had only played in one playoff game in his career and he was 0-1," 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "Our main goal from the first day of training camp was to get him back into the playoffs and get that goose egg off the board. And we did that."

6. Does Tom Coughlin have the coaching edge in this contest? Yes. Give Jim Harbaugh credit for turning around the 49ers in his first year and assembling impressive game plans each week. Just don't think that Coughlin doesn't have as many tricks up his sleeve in this one. The best thing Coughlin has going for him is that he knows how to keep his team focused in hostile environments. He led the Giants to their Super Bowl win during the 2007 season by winning three straight road games and he's had this bunch on point since they were fighting for their playoff lives with two weeks left in the regular season. The fact the Giants are so calm and effective in clutch situations also speaks to their preparation. This team won't be daunted by having to make a long trip to reach the Super Bowl again. In some ways, that challenge might help Coughlin motivate them even more.

7. Does Alex Smith have another clutch performance in him? Yes. For all the criticism Smith has taken in his seven-year career, he looked very much like the 49ers' leader Saturday. He twice led them back from deficits in the final four minutes and his 14-yard, game-winning touchdown pass is now a part of 49ers' lore. All season long, Smith had been dismissed as merely a game manager capitalizing on a strong running attack and a vicious defense. But he clearly understands that championship teams have quarterbacks who elevate their play at this time of year. He may not have beaten Drew Brees in the statistical department (he threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns, while Brees had 462 yards and four scores), but Smith never cared about that. The most important numbers for him Saturday were interceptions (he had none) and total points. As Harbaugh said afterward, "I think it's time Alex got a little credit around here."

8. How critical will the Giants' running game be in this contest? The Giants aren't winning this game without a strong combined effort from Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and D.J. Ware. New York ran for only 93 yards in that regular-season loss and the 49ers love to make teams one-dimensional. In fact, one of the more underrated aspects of San Francisco's win over New Orleans was the hit that 49ers safety Donte Whitner put on Saints running back Pierre Thomas in the first quarter. Thomas never returned, the Saints lost their best inside runner and Brees wound up throwing 63 passes. The Giants have an elite quarterback in Eli Manning. He'll be more dangerous with the kind of balance he has been getting over the past few games.

9. What is the wild card in this game? Special teams. The 49ers have the edge here and that will be a deciding factor in the game. Kicker David Akers set an NFL record with 44 field goals and punter Andy Lee turns field position in a hurry (he led the league with a 50.9 yards-per-punt average this season). The 49ers' coverage units also are arguably the best in the NFL. They controlled New Orleans returner Darren Sproles on Saturday while also forcing and recovering two fumbles on Saints returns. If they create more takeaways against the Giants, it will be a long day for New York. If dangerous 49ers returner Ted Ginn Jr. is healthy -- he left Saturday's game with a knee injury -- he could make that day even longer.

10. Who is going to the Super Bowl? The Giants look strong, but the 49ers have everything going for them. They're at home. They're playing with confidence. And they have the better defense. San Francisco was good enough to go into Green Bay to get a win if its playoff road led in that direction. Now that the 49ers don't have to go that route, their magical season continues with a trip to Indianapolis.

Senior writer Jeffri Chadiha covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

[RICKY]

A classic? Other than Giant and 49ers fans, nobody wanted to see this game. Everyone wanted the Brees-Rodgers shootout. Giants-49ers is a pretty big dud of a matchup. The NFC CG does not have any of the top 3 teams in the NFC in it, kind of funny.

And I'll say in fairness, I'm sure non-Jet fans were probably not thrilled or excited over the Jets-Steelers matchup last year either, I recognize that.

As for how it will play out? Giants will win, so will the Pats, then for 2nd time in last 4 years Jet fans will be completely miserable on Super Bowl Sunday regardless of outcome. Awesome

Well maybe you and all the other women out there should start watching Arena football, because I am sick of 40 point games and no defense.

[RICKY]

Wahhhh the Saints cant run four seams and line up five wide. Wahhhh they'll actually have to run the ball and play like men.

You should watch the CFL or arena league, I think that's more your speed.

wow just wrote the same thing lol

[k10]

You would think this would help, but teams have an uncanny ability to forget how to play football in playoff games against the Giants. I could easily see a multiple-INT game from Smith (even though all year he didn't do that) and someone like Gore inexplicably fumbling away opportunities.

Either way, you guys had to figure you'd be in GB or season over already at this point so anything else is gravy for 49ers. Eli will make enough plays, I don't like the way your D fell apart late in the Saints game.

Yes the only reason the Giants are winning is because the teams they are playing forgot how to play football. You are making yourself look like a jealous little girl. SHUT UP!

Are far as the field conditions. At first it would appear it benefits the 49ers. But the WR's know where they are going and when they will be cutting. As a defender its going to be hard to stay with the WR's. I can see a lot of double moves and pump fakes setting up big plays. It will also make it tough on SF's fast linebackers. It goes both ways though, both teams will have to play in these conditions.

[Mothahen]

A classic? Other than Giant and 49ers fans, nobody wanted to see this game. Everyone wanted the Brees-Rodgers shootout. Giants-49ers is a pretty big dud of a matchup. The NFC CG does not have any of the top 3 teams in the NFC in it, kind of funny.

And I'll say in fairness, I'm sure non-Jet fans were probably not thrilled or excited over the Jets-Steelers matchup last year either, I recognize that.

As for how it will play out? Giants will win, so will the Pats, then for 2nd time in last 4 years Jet fans will be completely miserable on Super Bowl Sunday regardless of outcome. Awesome

I don't want to see that at all. I have a gun slinging QB and it gets boring. I prefer a good defense game anytime.

[k10]

This is going to be a classic knock down drag em' out hard hitting football game. They way it's supposed to be played. Both defenses have been playing excellent, SF was laying the wood against the Saints they were more physical which is why they won. Giants have been hot and i think the most balanced team left in the playoffs. The offense is just better that SF, i think the Giants will win in a very tight game.