Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Breaking down the 20 biggest moments of the decade

By Jeremy Wohlfart

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 23: Fireworks go off after the last regular season game at Candlestick Park where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-24 on December 23, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 23: Fireworks go off after the last regular season game at Candlestick Park where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-24 on December 23, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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San Francisco 49ers
Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

No. 4: The Catch III

If the 49ers have a tendency to fumble the ball in key playoff moments against the Giants, they have a similar tendency to make spectacular catches in key playoff moments, too.

In the Divisional Round of the 2012 playoffs, the Niners were down late 32-29 to the Saints with 14 seconds on the clock. It was 3rd-and-3, 14 yards stood between San Francisco and a playoff victory.

Quarterback Alex Smith took the snap and threw a strike to tight end Vernon Davis in what became the third incarnation of “The Catch”:

It didn’t quite lead to a Super Bowl, but it was still quite an iconic moment for the 49ers, and it’s a play that will live on forever.