Giants vs. 49ers: 5 Players Who Disappointed Most in NFC Championship Game

Though the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers played into overtime, resulting in a 20-17 Giants win, the game seemed a bit disappointing.

Much of the game was boring. It wasn't simply good defense, but also bad offense that caused the game to be so low-scoring. 

Who can we blame for this lack of excitement? Many players came up short, but some stood out above the rest.

Actually, some of these players added to the excitement of the game—just not in a positive way.

Kyle Williams

Kyle Williams may have cost the 49ers the game. Ted Ginn Jr.'s replacement as the return man coughed up two fumbles, which were both recovered by the Giants.

Williams actually had a few excellent returns. He did a great job—other than the fumbles. But these fumbles weren't exactly a minor part of his performance.

Above all else, a return man must hold onto the ball, and Williams failed to do so.

Hakeem Nicks

After dominating the past two weeks, Hakeem Nicks didn't do much against the 49ers. This was the perfect game for the star wideout, too. He should have been able to take advantage of the slippery conditions and gain yards after the catch, but he didn't.

Nicks isn't a player that excels by speed. He uses his quickness, power and vision to elude defenders and run with the ball in his hands. With defenders slipping and sliding, Nicks could have been a huge player in this game.

He simply never really showed up.

Alex Smith

Alex Smith was fantastic in San Francisco's victory over the New Orleans Saints. The former No. 1 overall pick played with ice in his veins, leading San Francisco to victory in a game it was not expected to win.

His performance against the Giants was quite different. Smith completed less than half of his passes and threw for fewer than 200 yards. Only Vernon Davis saved Smith from turning in a dreadful performance.

Smith let San Francisco down here.

Michael Crabtree

Michael Crabtree is supposed to be San Francisco's No. 1 wide receiver, but he sure doesn't play like he is. The former top-10 pick continues to let down the 49ers, and he took that to an extreme in this contest.

Crabtree caught only one pass—for three yards.

How's that for a No. 1 wide receiver? 

We should probably be used to Crabtree disappointing by now, but it's still surprising how little he pleasantly surprises us. Alex Smith needs help from his wide receivers, and Crabtree didn't provide any.

Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He racked up 14 sacks throughout the year and is a favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

He recorded one sack against the Giants and did nothing else. Seriously. That was his only tackle.

All year, Smith has failed to contribute outside of rushing the passer. This game was no different, but Smith didn't even do that much as a pass-rusher. Outside of his one sack, Smith was almost invisible.

For someone who's supposed to be a star, Smith didn't make much of an impact.