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| Carolina held Vernon Davis to just one reception for one yard, but it was this touchdown at the end of the first half that shifted momentum to the 49ers. |
Cory Puffett
Carolina beat itself early in the game. They seemed to get
the boat back on track but San Francisco stole the moment at the end of the
first half and their defense rattled Cam Newton in the game’s final 30 minutes.
On the 49ers’ opening drive, dumb penalties by Carolina on
multiple third downs allowed San Francisco to get into field goal range. Cam
Newton then had a pass picked off on a deflection during his first possession
that led to another 49er field goal.
Newton looked good the rest of the half, completing almost
all of his passes. But poor goal line execution by the Panthers’ offense left
at least one touchdown off the board.
But a 12-play, 79-yard drive at the end of the second
quarter, resulting in a go-ahead touchdown, shifted momentum to San Francisco
and they never relinquished it.
Jim Harbaugh has now led his 49ers to three NFC Championship
games in his first three years as an NFL head coach. He is 5-2 in the playoffs
and 4-1 with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback.
Kaepernick threw for 196 yards and a touchdown in the game.
Frank Gore took a while to get things rolling but put up 84 yards on 17 carries
including a big 39-yard run on 3rd & 1 late in the fourth
quarter.
Anquan Boldin factored into the win with 8 receptions for
136 yards on 12 targets. Carolina had no answer for him and the few times they
were able to take him away, Michael Crabtree found an opening to give
Kaepernick another look.
The 49ers will face off with their NFC West rival in Seattle
next Sunday in the conference championship game. San Francisco will be playing
for a second straight Super Bowl appearance. The last team to do so was the New
England Patriots nearly ten years ago when they made it to Super Bowl’s XXXVIII
(38) and XXXIX (39).
Seattle has appeared in just one NFC title game, in 2005
when they defeated the Panthers to appear in Super Bowl XL against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. That followed their only other 13-3 season in franchise history.
Final Score:
San Francisco 49ers – 23
Carolina Panthers – 10
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