San Francisco 49ers: Top 10 games of the decade

No. 5: Falcons @ 49ers: Week 16 — Dec. 23, 2013 

Since 1971, the 49ers had called Candlestick Park their home. One of the NFL’s brightest crowned jewels forged its storied history inside the confines of the stadium originally constructed to house the New York baseball Giants after their move to the West Coast.

After some deliberation on whether or not to build a new stadium at various locations around the Bay Area, the city settled on Candlestick. It took a remodel to make it suitable to host football games, but looking back on it one can’t imagine this team playing anywhere else from 1971 to 2013.

The final game at “The Stick” was set up to be the 49ers punching their ticket to the postseason against the lowly 4-10 Atlanta Falcons.

It almost didn’t happen.

While the 49ers led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, Atlanta reeled off two touchdowns to make it a 27-24 game with 2:09 to play. What happened next could have been the end for the 49ers season, let alone Candlestick Park.

The Falcons were successful recovering their onside kick attempt after linebacker NaVorro Bowman let the ball bounce past his right leg. It was set up to be the worst possible way to end the legacy of Candlestick, not only a loss, but a loss that could have kept the Niners from the playoffs.

Atlanta took the ball and moved from the San Francisco 30-yard line to the 10.

The next play is what placed this game at No. 5 on our list.

Quarterback Matt Ryan dropped back and was suddenly facing an all-out blitz and had to get rid of the ball before being leveled by safety Eric Reid. The pass was doomed from the start. Cornerback Tramaine Brock had tight coverage on wide receiver Harry Douglas and made a break on the pass as it arrived.

Bowman, who had begun the play blitzing over center, pulled out of his rush and ran towards the pass. Brock’s break on the ball caused Douglas to bobble it. They both jostled for the loose ball and as it was batted up in the air one last time, there was Bowman to pull it in for the interception.

All that stood between him and a playoff berth was 89 yards of wide-open field.

San Francisco would go on to win the last game at Candlestick 34-24, and in the process, sent a raucous crowd of 49er fans home with an amazing late Christmas gift.

There was some hope, depending on how other games the following week played out, the 49ers would host at least one playoff game. It was not to be, as they were forced into the Wild Card and played Green Bay and the Carolina Panthers on the road before losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game.

As it turned out, this was the right way to end the team’s stay at Candlestick. A potential playoff loss on the field Bill Walsh built would have left a sour taste in every 49er fans mouth the world over.

The “Pick at The Stick,” as it was named, will always live in our hearts as the perfect ending to Candlestick’s storied history.