A look at San Francisco 49ers road towards success – NFL Special (Part I)
San Francisco 49ers have smartly paved their way to reach the playoffs this year. The appointment of coach, Jim Harbaugh, was the first building block that cemented a firm platform for good days in the offing.
He impressively led the side and took the 49ers to the new heights as the team topped the National Football Conference (NFC) – West division and reached the postseason for the first time after the 2002 season.
At this time of the year when the 49ers await New Orleans Saints for the former’s first playoff game, let’s take a look at how they overcome different obstacles to reach here.
Against Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers kicked off the season well to signal their vicious intentions for the rest of the teams.
In the first game against Seattle Seahawks, the 49ers completely dominated their home field. The Seahawks got their first scoring opportunity in the third quarter when the 49ers had already scored three field goals and a touchdown.
The 49ers defence allowed only 17 points while the offence scored 33 to get first victory.
Against Dallas Cowboys
The 49ers next hosted a team from NFC East, Dallas Cowboys.
The game was evenly poised, but the Cowboys managed to step ahead and scored a field goal in overtime to hold the 49ers back.
The positive aspect for the 49ers was the performance of Frank Gore, who remained the team’s leading rusher for second straight game.
At Cincinnati
The 49ers did not let the loss hinder their performance. They continued to progress and displayed that they are a force to be reckoned with when they played against Cincinnati Bengals.
In a low-scoring game, they scored two field goals and a touchdown and successfully managed to defend 13 points. The Bengals could only get eight points as the 49ers won their second game of the season.
At Philadelphia
The next step was Philadelphia. The Eagles, who were also the defending NFC East champions, played an aggressive game, but it became impossible for them to penetrate the 49ers’ defence.
All attempts towards reaching the 49ers’ end zone were almost controlled and the Eagles had to rely mostly on the field goals, which, of course, did not help them.
Despite that, the Eagles managed to secure a 20-point lead, but the 49ers scored three touchdowns in the second half of the game to get one point ahead of the Eagles when the game ended.
Against Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After winning two road games, the 49ers hosted the lowly Bucs.
The only scoring move from the Bucs came in the first quarter when they scored a field goal.
The 49ers, on the other hand, lambasted the opponents by scoring six touchdowns and two field goals to get their third straight victory.
At Detroit
The ferocious Detroit Lions were 49ers’ next victim.
Lions are infamous for their physicality, but their power was absorbed by the disciplined 49ers, who meticulously planned all their moves to prove their mettle.
After Lions’ domination in the first quarter, the 49ers responded strongly and allowed only nine points in the rest of the game while scoring 22 to win the game.
Against Cleveland Browns
The 49ers did not find it difficult to win their fifth straight game. Against the Browns, they got the lead at the start and maintained it until the end.
The Browns managed to score their first point, that too through a field goal, when the 49ers had already scored 17 points.
To be continued...
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