The NFC Championship Game featured two teams that won their divisions, combined for two dozen wins, and averaged only 3.5 losses. The journey to the opportunity to win an NFC division title and a Super Bowl berth included numerous risks, close calls, and, of course, solid football. How did the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game? Multiple factors helped each team reach their conference title game.

The Immediate Past

Sports are often about what just happened, so the 2013 divisional playoffs are freshest in fans’ minds. Atlanta fended off a late rally by the Seattle Seahawks, kicking a field goal with 8 seconds remaining in regulation to overcome the Seahawks’ lead produced by Seattle’s 3 touchdowns scored in the 4th quarter. The 49ers pulled away from the Green Bay Packers in the second half of their divisional playoff, scoring three consecutive touchdowns to put the game beyond reach of the Packers. The Falcons helped restore their post-season reputation, which had taken a hit by their recent inability to win a post-season game. The 49ers proved that a risk taken by Coach Harbaugh was the right decision after all.

Risk and Reward

Coach Harbaugh took some heat from fans and pundits when he pulled QB Alex Smith in favor of relative new-comer Colin Kaepernick in the 2nd quarter of the 49ers’ eventual tie with the St. Louis Rams. Fans may remember Kaepernick as the quarterback who led his Nevada team to an upset of Boise St. in 2010, but he was still a relative unknown when compared with Smith’s 6 more years of professional experience. Since taking over as starting quarterback, Kaepernick’s team has only lost twice (to the Rams by 3 in OT and to Seattle 42-13). Playing Kaepernick has seemed to give the 49ers the spark that has led them to the NFC title game.

Post-season Redemption

The Atlanta Falcons were 0-3 in the post-season with Coach Matt Smith and QB Matt Ryan in charge, so the Falcons’ win puts an end to that narrative. The Falcons had not won a post-season game since defeating St. Louis in 2004, so the Falcons headed into the championship game looking for a chance to make it back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XXXIII.

Tales of the Tape

The 49ers came into the game with a defense and rushing game that ranked 4th in professional football. The Falcons were not as impressive on paper—except in terms of their passing game, which ranked 6th in professional football. The Falcons did, however, best the 49ers in the highly important statistic of wins, carding two more than San Francisco.

Congratulations again to the San Francisco 49ers. Time to stock up with some great San Francisco 49ers Conference Champions gear, 49ers Super Bowl XLVII shirts, and other San Francisco 49ers 2012 NFC Conference Champs apparel.

Here we are sports fans. Three weeks left in the regular season. This is about the time of year that we start to see the various playoff scenarios. The contenders play in meaningful “must win” games, while the pretenders look to play spoiler. Each year, the NFL has 12 postseason invitations. The eight division champs all make the playoffs, along with four wild card teams (two from each conference). So far, three teams have already locked up their division – Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots. The Houston Texans have clinched a playoff berth, but are still battling the Indianapolis Colts for the division crown. With eight spots still up for grabs, there are still a significant number of teams battling down the stretch. Here’s my take on teams that look likely to punch their ticket for the playoffs:

Green Bay Packers – at 9-4, they are in control of the NFC North. They have a huge rivalry game this weekend in Chicago, and a win would clinch the division title.

San Francisco 49ers – With one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL, the 49ers are on the verge of clinching either the division or a wild card berth. They need to play hard though, because the Seattle Seahawks are right on their heels with rookie Russell Wilson leading the charge. Even if Seattle doesn’t catch the 49ers, I still look for them to wrap up a wild card berth and advance to the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens – Leading the AFC North, but reeling from a 2 game losing streak, it’s time for the Ravens to put up or shut up. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are both right behind them in the division race.

Indianapolis Colts – Yes, the Colts are a surprising 9-4 with rookie sensation Andrew Luck. They play the Houston Texans twice in the final three weeks, so Indy can think about a division championship or at least a wild card berth. I don’t know anyone who predicted they would be back in contention so soon after losing Peyton Manning.

Any teams I didn’t cover are either on the bubble, like the entire NFC East, or far from contending. No worries though, as we’ll keep you up to date on all the playoff races, and offer you the freshest gear to cheer your contender on in their playoff quest. If all goes well, they will be playing in New Orleans in February.

All of the predictions and preseason statistics are out the window now that the ball is in the air and the NFL season is underway. One of the major story lines of the preseason was the use of the replacement refs. I’ll be the first to admit I like seeing Ed “Hercules” Hochuli calling games, but realistically, the refs shouldn’t be a part of the outcome. In boxing, the saying goes “the ref did a great job if you didn’t notice him in the ring.” I feel much the same about football. With the exception of giving the Seattle Seahawks an extra time out last Sunday, I really didn’t notice the replacement refs too much. So that’s a plus for the NFL, but could be troublesome for the referees who are looking for leverage in their negotiations.

So that just leaves me with football to recap. After one week, teams that won shouldn’t get carried away and think Super Bowl, but teams that lost shouldn’t go out and burn their new Nike NFL jersey either. There is plenty of optimism for fans of the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons. Those teams won convincingly and have fans excited for the season. The next bunch of teams got the victory, but the jury is stil out. Those teams include the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccanneers, and the Denver Broncos just to name a few. Of the losers, fans of the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints have to be scratching their heads. What went so wrong that they started off 0-1? What if they lose this weekend and start the season 0-2? Since 1990, teams that start the season 0-2 make the playoffs less than 14% of the time. That’s a massive mountain to climb, which means that there are a number of teams that will be essentially playing for their season this weekend.

Best of luck to every team this weekend. I just want to see good football (and a Bears win). Regardless of who you cheer for, we’ll keep you up to date on what’s going on this season, as well as offer you the best selection of fashionable fan gear around. If you don’t believe me, click here to shop your NFL team and see for yourself.

It’s been quite the season for the San Francisco 49ers. After being preseason favorites to win the division, the 49ers started off 0-5. During the five game slide, they made the decision to fire the offensive coordinator in hopes of rejuvenating the stagnant offense. Even at 0-5, 49ers president/CEO Jed York insisted that this team would win the division. Thankfully, they play in the NFC West, where 7-9 or 8-8 could get you into the playoffs and even host a playoff game! So technically, even at 4-7, they are still alive and well in the division race.

This was supposed to be the year that Alex Smith took a huge step forward, and claimed the vacant “franchise QB” tag. He got hurt, and backup David Carr was so bad that recently signed third string QB, Troy Smith (yes, the one that led Ohio State to a BCS championship game), has taken the reigns in San Francisco. Troy’s competition is so light, that it looks like he will be the starter for the rest of the season.

Now, Frank Gore, the team’s best offensive weapon, broke his hip in the Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals. Sources are reporting that he is out for the season. The running game will turn over to Brian Westbrook, who we all remember from the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, Westbrook is well past his prime, and the 49ers badly need to win some games down the stretch to make a playoff run. Can Brian Westbrook still carry a team???

Through all of the controversy and bad luck, head coach Mike Singletary remains confident in his team. Every remaining game is a must win for them. I just wonder at this point if he is the only one who is still confident that the 49ers can win the division.

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