Giants vs 49ers: Bone Headed Mistakes and Bad Call Cost San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers had ample opportunities in yesterday's game to clinch a spot in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. They failed miserably in nearly every aspect of the game when the outcome was on the line. 

Of course most of the talk is going to be about Kyle Williams and his two fumbled punts, and for good reason; the second year player out of Arizona State practically gave the New York Giants ten points in a game that was decided in overtime by just three. 

Well, it should never have come down to that. 

Little things are what decides championships in football and Sunday night at Candlestick was no different. Dashon Goldson, continuing his hawkish play, knocked his teammate Tarell Brown out of the game. Following Kyle Williams' first muffed punt, Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham for a touchdown in the direction of where Brown was supposed to be playing against the 49ers No. 4 corner Tramaine Brock. It is amazing that Goldson's hardest hit of the season came against his own player, setting up a mismatch and go-ahead Giants touchdown.  

With just over two minutes remaining in the game and it tied at 17, NaVorro Bowman forced an Ahmad Bradshaw fumble inside the Giants' twenty yard line, and San Francisco recovered it. However, the referees ruled that Bradshaw's forward progress had been stopped. If the referees had not been so quick to blow the whistle in a Championship Game situation, San Francisco would have been able to run three plays and kick a game-winning field goal. 

Instead, New York punted and the game went into overtime. 

It was in overtime that the collective excitement that had filled Candlestick Park over the course of the season was destroyed. The 49ers' defense once again stood up against what was a struggling New York offense for the most part. However, Kyle Williams muffed his second punt return of the game, setting the Giants up for a game winning field goal. 

What makes this loss so devastating for the 49ers is the fact that they were the better team on the field Sunday. It was just a couple plays, some lucky, that came to decide the outcome of the game. 

Eli Manning didn't have a great performance and was hit an amazing 20 times. Frank Gore was having success on the ground, but for some reason the 49ers decided to go away from the run game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Eli Manning avoided two interceptions because San Francisco defenders collided with one another. 

There are so many other storylines that came to define this disheartening San Francisco 49ers loss, but here are the five plays that I believe summarize the outcome of the game and a loss for the upstart 49ers:

1. Dashon Goldson's hit on fellow teammate Tarell Brown that knocked him out of the game and disabled the opportunity for a touchdown. 

2. Kyle Williams' first muffed punt inside the 49ers 30-yard line with just over nine minutes remaining in the game and San Francisco up by four. 

3. Eli Manning's 17-yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham in the direction of Tarell Brown's replacement at corner. 

4. Referees calling a play dead after Ahmad Bradshaw obviously fumbled inside his own 20 with just over two minute remaining in a tied game. 

5. Kyle Williams' second muffed punt setting up a game winning Lawrence Tynes field goal in overtime.