Giants/Pats Rematch All of the Rage On Eastern Seaboard

Hey Pats fans, remember this?

It's a good day to be a New York sports fan.

Carmelo and Amar'e are wearing Knicks uniforms.  The Yankees are defending AL East champions and just picked up a stud in Michael Pineda.  The Rangers are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference.  If you're a Syracuse fan in NYC, they are one of the best in college basketball.  However, the Giants take the take by returning to the Super Bowl.  The G-Men punched their ticket to Indianapolis with a 20-17 overtime victory in San Francisco tonight.

As for the game, it truly was a game in which most of the players played well.  Eli Manning and Alex Smith both threw no picks in a game that was affected by rain.  Victor Cruz and Vernon Davis both caught for over 100 yards.  Mario Manningham made a nice catch for a 17 yard touchdown grab in the 4th quarter, his only one of the game.  Both defenses combined for nine sacks.

The difference in the game was San Francisco returner Kyle Williams.  Williams fumbled twice resulting in two Giant scores.  He is the goat for the evening.  Sure, the 49ers couldn't score at the end of regulation or their one overtime possesion.  The fact of the matter is that Kyle Williams is the reason that San Francisco is not going to Indianapolis.  Like Baltimore, San Francisco played good enough to win.  They just didn't.  The legend of Alex Smith will have to wait til' next year.

Now we have a Super Bowl rematch on our hands.  It was the game ESPN and Roger Goodell (graduate of Bronxville High School, in suburban New York) wanted.

We have two weeks to analyze the hell out of this game.  Go.

49ers On Map After Topping New Orleans In Shootout

Can Alex Smith lead San Francisco to a title in 2012?

A 14 yard strike from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis in the waning seconds of tonight's game put the NIners up 36-32 and put away New Orleans. In the process, the 49ers have established themselves as a legitimate team in the NFC. Alex Smith is possibly a week away from a game that could serve as the ultimate redemption provided the Packers defeat New York tomorrow.

The Niners' defense helped them get out to a 17-0 lead in the 2nd Quarter. Led by Safety Dashon Goldson's interception and 11 tackles, the 49ers' defense forced Drew Brees to make enough mistakes to keep the 49ers in the game. Alex Smith played the role of closer trading scores with Brees before leading the Niners down the field to close the game.

There are three things to take from this game. First, Alex Smith is the 49ers' franchise quarterback and a legitimate one at that. Second, Jim Harbaugh is the right coach for the Niners and for Alex Smith. Third, the Saints are a good team that must work out the kinks on defense. The Saints have a shaky secondary that must be addressed.

The era of rebuilding is over in San Francisco and with this big win, everybody knows it. Alex Smith has emerged as the 4th good 49er quarterback and has the potential to be one of the 3 great ones. Words can not put into perspective how huge this win was for San Francisco. A beleaguered quarterback leading a team who has been trying to break through for a few seasons now. A city who was spoiled with Joe Montana and Steve Young. A former No. 1 draft pick finally proving he can live up to those expectations, despite being picked over who is now arguably the best quarterback in football. One game away from Indianapolis. The Super Bowl. The opportunity to knock off Rodgers is there and may just serve as the ultimate redemption for Alex Smith.

The possibility of squaring off against Rodgers.

The possibility of capturing the team's first Super Bowl since the Steve Young era.

It's all there for the taking.