San Francisco 49ers: Top 20 games in franchise history
By Jerod Brown
49ers Comeback in Wild Card Win over New York Giants
Trailing by 24 points in the 2002 Wild Card playoff round, the 49ers seemed destined to be knocked out of contention by the New York Giants. The 49ers were playing in front of a large Candlestick crowd but were quickly overmatched by wide receiver Amani Toomer and his three touchdown catches.
The 49ers were losing 38-14 in the third quarter when the Giants collapsed and quarterback Jeff Garcia provided a masterful comeback, taking the lead with a minute left on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Tai Streets. The 49ers scored three unanswered touchdowns including two two-point conversions to take a 39-38 lead.
The Giants drove down the field and attempted a game-winning 41-yard field goal as time expired that was missed due to a bad snap. The 49ers won the game and sealed the greatest comeback in NFC playoff history.
The game was an impressive display of resiliency by the 49ers, including quarterback Jeff Garcia and temperamental receiver Terrell Owens. 49er fans had one final chance to enjoy the playoffs before the dark days that netted the first-overall pick in the 2005 draft and saw the 49ers miss the playoffs until Jim Harbaugh’s first season as head coach.
Next: A Shiny New Home