10. 1950 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at 7. 2012 NFC CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
7. 2012 NFC CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Record: 11-4-1
Pythag: 11-5
Off: 11th
Def: 2nd
1st NFC West
d. Packers Div Rnd 45-31
d. Falcons NFC Title 28-24
Lost Super Bowl Ravens 34-31
HC: Jim Harbaugh, HC Greg Roman, DC Vic Fangio
Candlestick Park. 60 degrees
Ted Robinson/Eric Davis
Offense
QB Colin Kaepernick (25 Nevada)
RB Frank Gore (29 Miami)
FB Bruce Miller (25 C Florida)
WR Michael Crabtree (25 T Tech)
WR Mario Manningham (26 Michigan)
TE Vernon Davis (28 Maryland)
LT Joe Staley (28 C Michigan)
LG Mike Iupati (25 Idaho) All Pro
C Jonathan Goodwin (34 Michigan)
RG Alex Boone (25 Ohio St)
RT Anthony Davis (23 Rutgers)
Defense
LDE Ray McDonald (28 Florida)
NT Isaac Sopoaga (31 Hawaii)
RDE Justin Smith (33 Missouri)
LOLB Ahmad Brooks (28 UVA)
LILB NaVorro Bowman (24 Penn St) All Pro
RILB Patrick Willis (27 Ole Miss) All Pro
ROLB Aldon Smith(23 Missouri) All Pro
LCB Carlos Rogers (31 Auburn)
RCB Tarell Brown (27 Texas)
SS Donte Whitner (27 Ohio St)
FS Dashon Goldson (28 Washington) All Pro
K David Akers (38 Louisville)
P Andy Lee (30 Pitt) All Pro
KR LaMichael James (23 Oregon)
PR Ted Ginn (27 Ohio St)
Our first 49ers team is the Harbaugh squad that lost the Super Bowl; middling offense, 2nd best defense in football with 4 All Pros - 27 year old Patrick Willis, 24 year old NaVorro Bowman, 23 year old Aldon Smith and 28 year old Dashon Goldson. Smith had 19.5 sacks. Andy Lee was also the All Pro punter in the NFL in '12. 25 year old Colin Kaepernick took over the QB job midseason from Alex Smith; who knows - we may see both of them at some point. 29 year old Frank Gore rushed for 1200 yds. The Niners lone offensive All Pro is 25 year old Mike Iupati who will go on to play for that Cardinals team we just saw lose to Miami. The third receiver on this club is 35 year old Randy Moss, who is already in the second round with the Patriots.
10. 1950 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Record: 6-6
Pythag: 10-2
Off: 7th
Def: 1st
3rd American Division
Did not make playoffs
HC: Greasy Neale
Offense
QB Tommy Thompson (34 Tulsa)
RB Steve Van Buren (30 LSU)
RB Frank Ziegler (27 Geo Tech)
FB Jack Myers (26 UCLA)
WR Jack Ferrante (34 N/A)
WR Pete Pihos (27 Indiana)
LT Vic Sears (32 Ore St)
LG Duke Maronic (29 None)
C Vic Lindskog (36 Stanford)
RG Bruce Kilroy (29 Temple)
RT Al Wistert (30 Michigan)
Defense
LDE John Green (29 Tulsa)
MG Walt Barnes (32 LSU)
RDT Mike Jarmoluk (28 Temple)
RDE Jay MacDowell (31 Wash)
LLB Joe Muha (29 VMI)
RLB Chuck Bednarik (25 Penn) All Pro
LDH Russ Craft (31 Alabama)
RDH Joe Sutton (26 Temple)
LS Neill Armstrong (24 Okla St)
RS Pat McHugh (31 Geo Tech)
K Cliff Patton (27 TCU)
P Frank Reagan (31 Penn)
KR/PR Russ Craft (31 Alabama)
There won't be a team in the field older than this team, the '50 Eagles were just 6-6 but had a 10-2 pythagorean record and the best defense in football, led by a 25 year old Chuck Bednarik. 34 year old Tommy Thompson threw for 11 scores...but 22 picks and we'll see how a 1950s squad fares against a team from 60+ years in the future. The Eagles head to Candlestick - let's kick it off.
First Quarter
Niners start at the 24.
1/10 - Frank Gore for a yard.
2/9 - Colin Kaepernick finds Michael Crabtree for 7.
3/2 - Gore gets 5 and the first down.
1/10 - Gore for 2.
2/8 - Incomplete
3/5 - Called run for Kaepernick, Chuck Bednarik is there, holding Kap to a 3 yard gain and the Niners punt.
Eagles at their own 26. 11:08 left.
1/10 - Steve Van Buren with the carry, it's 5 yards.
2/5 - Incomplete
3/5 - Van Buren gets 6 and the first.
1/10 - Frank Ziegler gets a carry, he goes for 5.
2/5 - 3 for Van Buren,
3/2 - Ziegler gets 5, that brings the Eagles to midfield, 1st down with 7:45 left.
1/10 - 4 for Van Buren
2/6 - 1 for Van Buren -
3/5 - Very conservative from Greasy Neale, Ziegler gets stuffed at the line and the Eagles punt.
Niners at their own 8. 5:38 left.
1/10 - Gore for 7 - this feels like a real grind it out game here.
2/7 - Bruce Miller gets 13 and the first.
1/10 - LaMichael James comes in as a change of pace back and he gets 13. Niners to the 41.
1/10 - Kaepernick designed run goes for 5.
2/5 - It's an end around to Michael Crabtree, he's got 4. 2:14 left.
3/1 - Kaepernick with the sneak for the first to the Eagle 49.
1/10 - 6 for Gore.
2/4 - Kaepernick throws his first pass of the drive, it's 7 yards to Crabtree and a first down at the 36.
1/10 - Kaepernick to Mario Manningham for 14 as the qtr ends.
Second Quarter
Scoreless first qtr - Niners at the 22, first down.
1/10 - Ten more for Gore.
1/10- James with 3.
2/7 - Gore is stacked up and it's a 3rd and 7 that becomes a 3rd and 12 after a false start.
3/12- Kaepernick fires over the middle to Vernon Davis who muscles his way into the endzone for a TOUCHDOWN 49ERS -- 13 plays, 97 yards - the Niners are on the board.
Eagles open at the 31, 12:42 left.
3 and out.
Niners take the punt and will start at their own 44, 11:32 left.
1/10 - Kaepernick to Davis for 3.
2/7 - Kaepernick to Delanie Walker for 8.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Kaepernick finds Manningham, its a 16 yard gain, Niners at the Eagle 29, 9:27 left.
1/10 - Gore loses a yard.
2/11 - Kaepernick run - he gets 12 and the Niners are at the 18.
1/10 - Kaepernick to Manningham, just a yard.
2/9 - Gore gets 1
3/8 - Kaepernick to Crabtree, only 2 yards, Niners decide to kick the short FG, David Akers makes it 10-0.
Eagles start at their own 17. 3 and out.
Niners take over at their own 43, but turn it over, after Gore gains 2 - Bruce Miller fumbles, the Eagles regain at their own 45 with 3:32 left.
1/10 - Steve Van Buren for 14.
1/10 - Ziegler gets 1
2/9 -Van Buren gets 1
3/9 - Incomplete - another punt, Niners will start at their own 6, 1:44 left.
1/10 - Kaepernick to Davis for 8 and a timeout.
2/2 - Incomplete
3/2 - Gore loses 2 yards - the Eagles stop the clock and the Niners will be punting from their own 12 - have to question the clock management here; Niners will now be punting from deep in their own end.
Eagles start at their own 46. 1:19 left.
1/10 - Van Buren gets nothing and the Eagles stop the clock again.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Thompson completes a pass -- it's to Ziegler for a dozen and the Eagles are at the Niner 42 with 51 seconds left.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Thompson finds Pete Pihos for 17. The Eagles are at the 25 with 37 seconds left and they call their final timeout.
1/10 - Ziegler gets 2
2/8 - Thompson hits Jack Ferrante for a 8 yards and a first down and he's out of bounds at the 23.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Thompson scrambles for 2 yards out of bounds - the Eagles kick a short FG as the time expires. We go into the locker room - Niners 10 Eagles 3
Third Quarter
The Eagles scored just before the half to cut the deficit to 7 - the start the second half with the ball at the 29.
1/10 - Incomplete and an illegal motion backs the Eagles 5.
2/15 - Thompson to Jack Ferrante for 8.
3/7 - Thompson to Pihos for 14.
1/10- Incomplete.
2/10 - Van Buren loses a yard. Another third down.
3/11 - Thompson to Pihos again - this time for 17 yards to the Niner 38 yard line.
1/10 - Incomplete.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Thompson's sacked by Aldon Smith - Eagles are forced to punt - Niners will take over at their own 19. 10:49 left.
1/10 - Kaepernick to Crabtree for 8.
2/2 - James gets 3 and the first.
1/10 - Gore for 4.
2/6 - Crabtree end around for 4.
3/2 - Kaepernick is sacked by Bednarik - and the Niners punt.
Eagles take over at their own 21, 7:23 left.
3 and out.
Niners get a good punt return by Ted Ginn and open at the Eagles 37, 5:39 left.
1/10 - Kaepernick to James for 14.
1/10- Walt Barnes busts through the line for a sack, Niners lose 6.
2/16 - Incomplete
3/16 - Kaepernick is picked off by Neill Armstrong - Eagles will start at their own 21, 3:55 left. Kaepernick took a big shot there by Bednarik and leaves the field staggered.
3 and out. Real defensive struggle here. Niners take over at their own 44. 2:17 left.
Alex Smith is on for the injured Kaepernick.
1/10 - Screen to Crabtree loses a yard.
2/11 - Frank Gore busts a 41 yard run - rumbling to the Eagle 16.
1/10 - James for 2.
1/8 - Gore gets three as the quarter ends.
Fourth Quarter
Niners holding onto the 10-3 lead, they've got 3rd and 5 at the Eagle 11 - Kaepernick has been knocked out, Alex Smith on for San Francisco.
3/5 - Smith to Manningham for 5 and the first at the 6 yard line.
1/goal - Gore gets 3.
2/goal - James gets 1
3/goal - Smith rolls out - finds Bruce Miller in the endzone -- TOUCHDOWN 49ERS - Alex Smith comes off the bench and throws a TD pass to Miller; Niners up 14.
Eagles at the 27, 12:49 left, Niners by 14.
Another 3 and out. The Niner defense just not allowing Philly an inch today.
Niners start at their own 36. 11:11. Kaepernick is back on the field.
1/10 - James gets 5.
2/5 - Gore gets 5 and the chains move for the Niners.
1/10 - Joe Muha with the big shot on Kaepernick; another sack.
2/15 - Miller gets 3.
3/12 - Kaepernick finds Manningham for 9, but that's short of the first down, and the Niner punt leads to Philly starting at their own 11. 7:30 left.
1/10 - Ziegler gets 15.
1/10 - Van Buren gets 4. Eagles go back 5 on an illegal motion.
2/11 - Van Buren gets 2
3/9 - Incomplete - but a late hit by Donte Whitner is a 15 yard penalty and a first down, Eagles are at their own 42 yard line with 6:10 left - still trailing by 14.
1/10 - Incomplete.
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10- Incomplete
4/10 - Incomplete
And that should do it. Niners take over at the Eagle 42. 5:20 left.
3 and out. Eagles will start at their own 15. 4:17 left.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Thompson his Ziegler for 10.
1/10 - Thompson hits Ferrante for 8.
2/2 - Incomplete
3/2 - Incomplete
4/2 - Incomplete
Again, the Niners turn the Eagles over on downs, San Francisco regains possession at the Eagle 33.
And on the first play LaMichael James fumbles. Eagles recover- they're gasping at life, but there is still some breath remaining - Eagles regain at their own 30, 3:39 left - they are going to the bench for the backup QB, third year man out of Nevada, Bill Mackrides, comes on, can he spark something for these Eagles?
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Incomplete
4/10 - Mackrides hits Ferrante for 12, first down and a timeout.
1/10 - 12 more Mackrides to Ferrante - the Eagles have reached the Niner 46. 2:49 left.
1/10 - Mackrides is flushes - he breaks contain - Mackrides goes for 19 yards and the Eagles are at the Niner 27 yard line with 2:26 to go.
1/10 - Incomplete
2/10 - Incomplete
3/10 - Incomplete
4/10 - Mackrides hits Pihos on a crossing route - he's at the sticks - but Dashon Goldson's tackle is going to keep is close. On the measurement.....the Eagles do not make it.
And that's that - the Niners will pick up one last first down on a Gore run and run out the clock.
Final: 49ERS 17 EAGLES 3
When the second best from 2012 meets the best defense from 1950 and each side has middling offense, this is a reasonable outcome. It opens up a concern about teams from the 50s as the Eagles just weren't offensively competitive here, but they're a 10th seed, on the road, that didn't make the playoffs in their own season, so they aren't necessarily reflective of what we'll get from the Paul Brown teams.
Kaepernick: 13-21 110 1 TD/1 INT, 3 carries/20 yds
Thompson: 7-30 84 yds
Gore: 18 carries, 129 yds
Ziegler: 14 carries, 51 yds
Crabtree: 5 catches, 23 yds
Ferrante: 5 catches, 48 yds
Player of the Game - FRANK GORE
