Class Act

Immediately put down as a classic by all who witnessed it, Saturday’s match-up between New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers saw one man stand out even on a field full of stars. Alex Smith, the 49ers quarterback, equalled everything his opposite number Drew Bress could muster. Not only did he marshal a superb defence, his passing game was ultra sharp – never more in evidence than on the final play of the game, as Vernon Davis received the winning pass to touchdown.

Saints had steamrollered into a 32-29 lead, having forced a two-point conversion of a touchdown with 1:37 left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Smith then began the drive of his career from his own 15-yard line and, when the 49ers reached field-goal range, surprisingly opted to gamble on the win rather than tie up the game and take it to overtime. With nine seconds remaining, Smith and his 49ers had delivered an unanswerable blow.

Saints’ quarterback Brees had driven a formidable Saints offence all year, breaking a 27-year-old record for most passing yards in a regular season. Saturday’s other divisional playoff, New England Patriots against Denver Broncos, had been touted as the battle of the quarterbacks with Broncos’ Tim Tebow and Patriots’ Tom Brady facing off. Yet it was Smith, the man who has never fulfilled the expectation that came with being 2005’s number-one draft pick, emerging with a largely unfancied 49ers team to claim the glory and alleviate the pressure that has weighed down on his shoulders these past years.

With either New York Giants or Green Bay Packers waiting in the NFC Championship game, there will need to be more heroics for the fairytale to continue. However, picking up the momentum now could well be the key for the 49ers to take it to the big boys, and with Alex Smith in this kind of form they certainly have a chance of sustaining it.