49ers: Ranking the 5 Most Infamous Plays in Franchise History

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 5 Most Infamous Plays in Franchise History

Jan 19, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) tips the ball against San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) for an interception by Seahawks outside linebacker Malcolm Smith (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

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No. 5: Kyle Williams Fumbles in Overtime versus the New York Giants

The 49ers had endured nearly a decade of futility before the 2011 season, only to see then-head coach Jim Harbaugh resurrect a once-proud franchise and put it back in the NFC Championship game.

The 2012 NFC Championship turned out to be a classic, only Niners fans surely wished things had gone differently.

Wide receiver and return man Kyle Williams is another name living in franchise infamy. And we know the play. Tied at 17 in overtime, Williams fumbled a punt, which gave the ball directly back to the Giants. Five plays later, a 31-yard field goal by Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes gave New York the right to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVI.

Making matters worse, Williams muffed a punt in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Giants to take the lead, thus forcing a late 49ers game-tying field goal.

“It was just one of those situations where I caught the ball, tried to head upfield, tried to make a play and it ended up for the worse,” Williams said, per Ann Killion of Sports Illustrated.