In each round of this postseason, fans have been granted the spectacular.
From Tebowmania dispatching the Pittsburgh Steelers in dramatic overtime fashion during the Wild Card round,to Alex Smith's rebirth against the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round, America celebrated the triumph of underdogs and adored the ascension of much-criticized individuals.
But oh, how sports can be cruel.
With the despondency of fans in San Francisco and Baltimore, America witnessed a much more debauched sense of the spectacular in the Conference Championship Round. Now, two professional athletes will forever be remembered for their respective blunders.
Baltimore Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver/punt returner Kyle Williams will likely be vilified for the rest of their lives. Cundiff's missed game-tying field goal attempt at the end of regulation and Williams' two fumbles are the only images from these two games that will be recycled for years to come. The theater provided by Cundiff and Williams has gone so far as to take the spotlight off a more pressing issue — that, after two weekends of awesome football, this past Sunday's games were exceedingly sloppy.
To put it bluntly, the Patriots won a football game in which they played like the second-best team. The Ravens deserved to win, and their 23-20 defeat is only made worse by the manner in which they lost.
Baltimore's defense made Tom Brady look uncomfortable the entire game, as he threw two interceptions against zero touchdowns, while missing open receivers — including an overthrow on a would-be touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski.
So how did the Pats manage to return to the Super Bowl? They benefited from timid Baltimore play-calling — most egregiously, kicking a field goal on 4th-and-1 from New England's 3-yard line — as well as two huge miscues by men not named Cundiff: Joe Flacco overthrew an open wideout Torrey Smith in the end zone, and Lee Evans dropped a potential game-winning touchdown pass.
Numerous members of the Ravens organization, both in the coaching staff and on the field, could have taken the fall for their loss, but the last play will be the longest-lasting. New England handed Baltimore the game, who in turn handed it back. No Patriots fan should feel confident about their team after that game.
Across the country, in San Francisco, the 49ers and Giants produced their own weird struggle, the difference being that Giants fans should feel proud of their team after this past weekend.
Although the Giants needed Williams' pair of fumbles to achieve victory, their effort and resiliency put them in position to take advantage of San Francisco's blunders. It wasn't pretty, however, as Eli Manning threw 58 times for over 300 yards, and New York needed overtime just to score 20 points. Of those 20 points, 10 came from Williams' fumbled punt returns, which resulted in extraordinary field position for the Giants.
On the other side of the ball, the Giants' defensive front showed yet again why it is so dominant, and the Niners struggled to find any groove on offense. Outside of two touchdown passes to tight end Vernon Davis, Smith looked lost as he completed just one pass to a wide receiver all game. While the 49ers' passing game is nothing compared to the Patriots', the Giants showed against the Green Bay Packers that their defense can wreak havoc on any offense, no matter how prestigious the opposing quarterback.
The Giants did to the 49ers what the Ravens should have done to the Patriots, in the second of two games that were very similar up to their conclusions.
Out of the previously four remaining teams, America has received the gift of a Super Bowl with the two that create the most marketable and potentially great matchup. Outside of a "Harbaugh Bowl" between Baltimore and San Francisco, a 2008 Super Bowl rematch was the most appealing.
What better narrative than Boston vs. New York, Brady and company seeking revenge for David Tyree's "helmet catch," and Manning's quest to surpass his big brother with a second championship ring?
For now, though, Baltimore and San Francisco lament, while New England and New York prepare.
Check out the Daily next week for more in-depth previews and analysis of Super Bowl XLVI.
