It's being shown right now on NFL Network. And since I'm such a glutton for punishment, I'm watching. God dammit that game still pisses me off, even though it really marked the start of the end for Fassel & set us down the path for TC & Eli.
Few things:
1) I forgot how much of a beast Shockey was that year. Just a total animal. That said, his drop that would have made it 42-14 was completely inexcusable.
2) I still disagree with Fassel's decision not to go for it on 4th & 1 around the 49ers 25 with 3 minutes & change left. A FG would have only made it an 8 point game & the 49ers offense was rolling. Get the 1st, kill some clock, & try to get a TD.
3) When you follow a team day in, day out you know what their strengths and weaknesses are. The ST that year was a complete abomination. I wasn't surprised at all that it came to bit them in the ass.
Johnny Lynn was a disaster. If Fox had still been the DC, they win that game because there's no way Fox just continues to stick Sehorn on Owens and hope for the best.
And I see someone else is trotting out the classic chestnut "Durrrr Fassel should never have left the field until the refs corrected the call!" If that were the case, he'd still be on that field to this day because all the tantrums in the world wouldn't have made a damned bit of difference. Please, tell me when you have ever seen a coach throwing a fit on a field change a game-deciding call? I'll help you out - never. It's never happened and it wasn't happening that day either.
Having said that, double coverage might've helped ...
What a choke job.
So imagine my surprise the next morning when I went to the internet cafe, pulled up ESPN.com, and saw Jeff Garcia celebrating on the front page.
I wasn't all that surprised, I have to say. That team was a paper tiger with some huge flaws all season.
I turned the tv off and sat in my living room for about an hour... all alone... in stunned disbelief saying over and over again 'I can't believe we lost that game.'.
I turned the tv off and sat in my living room for about an hour... all alone... in stunned disbelief saying over and over again 'I can't believe we lost that game.'.
I recall having a bunch of friends over ... slowly but surely they started leaving - and said nothing ...
I've calmed down quite a bit since then. thanks SB 42!
only game I've ever watched on tv and still felt physically exhausted after.
Could have been a SB winning team.