49ers Vs. Giants: How I'm Feeling Going Into The 2012 NFC Championship Game

I don’t feel confident or nervous about the outcome. I think it will be a good game and come down to a few bounces of the ball at the end.

Certainly haven’t lost any sleep. I’m sure Sunday will test all of my discipline to get everything done early in the day because win or lose I’m sure I’ll be completely useless during and after the game. ( although I’ve been known to get a good workout in when the 49ers lay an egg and I’ve tried to get into the habit of practicing classical guitar during the game since I watch on mute. )

Defense can not let up. I think they feel that way. I think 9ers defense is gong to show up & take no prisoners. What I look forward to seeing is about 11, I like that number, 11 Mighty Men on defense hit all day like they are 11 Ronnie Lott’s running around the field. I want to see epic hits on Gmen all day long. I want Gmen to be scared ishless. I want to see blood and broken bones dressed in blue left on the field by the end of the game. I want to see a soaked Jim Harbaugh at the end of the game, but not because of the rain, this splash he will not dodge. But this is what I feel, major 9er’s defense dominating, because they no this is it, the defining moment and they are hungry, starving. Gmen are confident now, over confident I don’t know, but confident for but a few more days, until sometime in the 1st qtr

I’m comfortable and confident in how the Niners are playing right now, I don’t expect them to have a bad game. If they get beaten by the Giants, it’ll be a fair-and-square game, simply because the Giants will have been a better team that day.

It’s such an evenly matched game, to me. Both teams are playing their best at the right time, I don’t see either team having a down game on Sunday. It’s going to be a great, great game on Sunday and I can’t wait. Regardless of what happens, I know the Niners will play their hardest and I’m looking forward to seeing them fight tooth and nail.

(Of course, this is also me trying to prepare myself for if the Niners lose, because it could break my heart. Just staying positive and being grateful for a good year!)

Confident this week. I honestly believe we are going to take it to the Giants like they have never seen, in all aspects of the game. Im very confident we will be victorious and by a comfortable margin. This will be payback for 1990. RED & GOLD baby!

GO NINERS!!!

riding the wave man, enjoying it the whole way

A 350 yard, 4 TD game would be awesome to see from Alex. A giant middle finger to the national media.

Go Niners!!!1

But… Let’s be honest the Giants beat a RUSTY GB team while we played a streaking NO team!! 49ers are going to give Giants hell come Sunday!! There at our house and our fans will be “Rocking the STICK” bring it!!

I watched the NFL replay of their first game last night and came out with a few observations:
-the 50/50 plays in that game largely went the Giants way. The list:
1. Cruz is stripped on the first drive for an apparent fumble which the 49ers recover, but the play is called dead because his forward progress had been stopped. The Giants end up scoring a field goal on the drive.
2. Goldson picks Manning, but comes down with half a foot out of bounds.
3. Ginn lets a pass from Smith go directly through his hands, the ball pops off of his facemask and bounces directly to Webster for a pick, costing the 49ers at least 3 pts.

Really, the only 50/50 play that went for the Giants was the last pass to Manningham that was just long. Now, each game has its own flow, but these are the facts for this game:

Manning isn’t likely to complete his first 9 passes, especially in the weather…
While Bradshaw is back for the Giants, Gore was essentially out in that game for the 49ers…
The 49ers were horrible in the red zone that game – an area in which they have become much more proficient…

If the 49ers play a smart game, not making any silly turnovers (special teams in particular), I think they just have too much on the Giants defensively, and offensively, should be more effective running the ball. Run the ball, screen to both Gore and Hunter, and get Davis and Walker moving across the field and down the seams. Keep it tight and the 49ers should punch their ticket to Indy!

I respect this Giants team because they’re obviously very good, but let’s be honest, they caught a lot of breaks against Green Bay… I don’t think they can count on the Niners dropping 73 passes and allowing Hail Mary touchdowns.

Let’s just say I’ve been looping this all week long.

http://www.ninersnation.com/2012/1/12/2704216/a-video-i-put-together-to-hype-up-niners-fans-for-the-playoffs-i#comments

Mostly because I want the season to be over so I can rub it in everyones face that the 49ers won the superbowl. Til then…..I just have to wait and enjoy the ride.

…but that may just be because I’m a contrarian by nature, lol.

I will go ballistic. Nothing fumes me more than baloney ref calls.

Maybe stupid penalties made by players that destroy a drive….haha. That’s a close second.

In Alex, Im confident about the Defense playing lights out, Im confident in Vernon Davis…Im not confident in our O-Line blocking the front four of the Giants. If they can give Alex a clean pocket, and block well in the run game we win this game. O-Line needs to play their best on Sunday

I was VERY nervous last week when we played the Saints, but not so much this week. I guess all of the talk about Drew Brees and the Saints high powered offense had me concerned. My heart was thumping through my chest that whole game and I couldn’t even sit down. I am hoping this game will NOT be close, and maybe we can have a 2 score lead in the fourth qtr. My heart will appreciate that. GO NINERS!

I’m just as nervous as I was for the Saints game, possibly even more so. I did not think we had a chance against the Saints and therefore really had no expectations and anything good we did was a happy bonus. We saw what happened.

Now that we’re here I have higher expectations, but I’m much more worried about this game, and think the Giants will probably soundly beat us. yes, we were great at the beginning and end, but that middle of the game stretch will kill us against the Giants. Just destroy us. The Giants defense can actually capitalize on those bad stretches unlike the Saints defense.

I said last week that the defense had to have a perfect game, and they almost did, but this week, it’s almost like both sides have to have perfect games, because the Giants are arguably the most balanced team in the NFL

O is clicking in the red zone
Harbs will outcoach Coughlin
Eli will be ok, but he’s no Brees
Maybe we lose, but I think we’d really have to shoot ourselves in the foot

the Giants are a lot like us. Two physical teams that want to (and can) control the line of scrimmage. Two teams that want to power run as well as hit you with their speedy playmakers. Two teams that want their QB to be efficient, protect the ball, and then drill it into tight spots.

The thing is, though, we do most of this stuff better. We’ve been far more consistent all season (SF has lost 3 games by 15 points while NY has lost 7 by 80) and, importantly, our special teams are far and away among the best in the league.

In terms of the Xs and Os, I think, this is a tight, tight game. So, of course, you get a bit nervous, but then you chill and consider the intangibles.

While I will concede they have Eli and have some stellar postseason experience, I think the Niners side of the intangible margin just starts to pile up fast—home field advantage, weather/grass and the chance to practice in/on it, a game-prep coach that is already looking to be among the best in the league, and, importantly, an offense that must now believe they can do anything.

Look, if we had one big question mark coming into the postseason, it had to be the offense, and particularly how we handled business in the red zone. All of that stuff blew sky-high with the roar in the Stick at around 5.15 or so last Sunday. If this unit now feels it, now believes that they can get vertical, now believes they can handle the two-minute drill with check-downs as well as fly patters, look the hell out. The last piece of the Niner puzzle has fallen in place and you don’t stand a chance.

Our defense will smack you around, make you cry. Our special teams will force the air from your lungs. And, our offense, well, they will put a dagger in your heart.

and feeling that we may need to win the TO battle by a wide margin to win.

Just listen to Brent Jones on KNBR from this morning. He got me jacked up!! I too, am feeling a bit off. When you have a clear feeling about what needs to be done to secure the victory or if you know what its going to take to get the upset, you know what to feel. In this game, because the teams are so even and balanced, its hard to get a strong feeling one way or the other. It feels like my confidence is changing every hour. Trying to stay positive and have FAITH in our team.

I’m anxious for the game to be played. I want to predict the Giants but hte more I think about it, the more I think the 49ers should win and handily.

Why I’m worried:

1. The Giants quick passing game. That seems to be the way to beat the 49ers through the air. The Ravens did the it the best, but the Giants and Cowboys also did it well. It doesn’t give us time to get to the QB and the Giants have good WRs so it’ll be tough to handle.
2. The Big Play - Cruz and Nicks are big play receivers. We have a bad tendency there. However, we’re pretty solid at tackling, so we should be able to limit. The Packers let some big plays to Nicks go due to poor tackling and positioning. Confident the 49ers won’t make those mistakes.
3. 2nd matchup – The 49ers haven’t played as well this year in their rematches against Arizona and Seattle (not gonna count StL b/c we were resting guys.) However, those games were all on the road and we definitely play better at home.
4. Our passing game. The Giants won’t man up on VD too often and its unclear that our other receiving options will be able to get open. Last time we surprised them with how much we threw it. We won’t be able to surprise them again.
5. Giants are playing great. Look what they did to Green Bay. They play great on the road. Candlestick won’t faze them.

Why i’m confident:
1. The Giants won’t be able to run the ball. No team has as long as Willis has been in there. He’ll be in there.
2. Giants momentum is overrated. They beat mediocre Cowboys and Jets teams to get into the playoffs (Sandwiched around another embarrassing loss to the Redskins.) They beat an overrated Falcons team that can’t play outside or well against good teams. The Packers were so sloppy and rusty. The Giants got lucky on some big plays and the Packers had a lot of drops and missed opportunities to open receivers. The Packers were flat. The Giants took advantage. The 49ers won’t be flat. They’ll be ready to go.
3. The Giants’ false bravado - they’re doing TOO MUCH TALKING. it’s almost as if they’e trying to convince themselves that they can beat us.
4. In Harbaugh we Trust - He’ll have the team ready. They’ll have a good game plan. The team hasn’t been outcoached this year (except perhaps the Ravens game on a short week with long travel – factors not present here.)
5. Destiny – No way in hell I thought the 49ers would even sniff the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl at the start of the season. Suffice it to say, I was a bit off. There’s magic in the air. This team feels like one for the ages.