The San Francisco 49ers have returned to the playoffs after a decade absence and urgently made up for lost time.  Jim Harbaugh was very aggressive on offense and played most of the game with the lead.  The Saints, however, stuck in there and Drew Brees’ precision passing helped them gain the lead with several minutes to go.  But this game will be remembered for the mvp-play of Smith on defense and Alex Smith on offense.  Alex ran for a 30 yard touchdown and threw for a 14 yard touchdown to win the game in the closing seconds.  There was much doubt about whether Alex Smith could ever become a superstar quarterback, but he may play just well enough to win the Super Bowl.  Even Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl and Alex Smith seems to be playing better than Dilfer ever could.  Congrats!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=320114025

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/57223/rapid-reaction-49ers-36-saints-32