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49ers stop Pats to seal playoff spot
Source: Agencies |
December 18, 2012, Tuesday
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THE San Francisco 49ers squandered a 28-point lead against an explosive New England Patriots on Sunday but recovered late on to secure a playoffs berth with a thrilling 41-34 road victory.
The 49ers dominated early in rainy New England, racing to a 31-3 advantage in the third quarter but Tom Brady and his top-ranked Patriots offense caught fire with 28 unanswered points to tie the game with a little under seven minutes remaining.
But San Francisco's second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick responded seconds later with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree, his fourth TD throw of the game, to put the 49ers (10-3-1) back in front for good.
"We just had to put more points on the board," Kaepernick told reporters, of his reaction to New England's comeback. "Tom Brady is a great quarterback... they're a very potent offense that can put up points. We knew we were going to have to match that today."
After their offense regained control, the visitors' vaunted defense played its part in a lively fourth-quarter as they stalled Brady on two straight drives before David Akers added a San Francisco field goal for a 41-31 lead.
New England (10-4) added a field goal in the final minute but their onside kick attempt was unsuccessful as their seven-game winning streak came to a screeching halt.
Brady finished with 443 yards passing but he coughed up two interceptions and was sacked three times as the Patriots paid the price for giving up four turnovers.
"We battled back, we just made too many mistakes when we needed to make plays," Brady said. "It's a tough loss. You can't play poorly against a good team and expect to win."
The 49ers dominated early in rainy New England, racing to a 31-3 advantage in the third quarter but Tom Brady and his top-ranked Patriots offense caught fire with 28 unanswered points to tie the game with a little under seven minutes remaining.
But San Francisco's second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick responded seconds later with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree, his fourth TD throw of the game, to put the 49ers (10-3-1) back in front for good.
"We just had to put more points on the board," Kaepernick told reporters, of his reaction to New England's comeback. "Tom Brady is a great quarterback... they're a very potent offense that can put up points. We knew we were going to have to match that today."
After their offense regained control, the visitors' vaunted defense played its part in a lively fourth-quarter as they stalled Brady on two straight drives before David Akers added a San Francisco field goal for a 41-31 lead.
New England (10-4) added a field goal in the final minute but their onside kick attempt was unsuccessful as their seven-game winning streak came to a screeching halt.
Brady finished with 443 yards passing but he coughed up two interceptions and was sacked three times as the Patriots paid the price for giving up four turnovers.
"We battled back, we just made too many mistakes when we needed to make plays," Brady said. "It's a tough loss. You can't play poorly against a good team and expect to win."
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