"Human error.

It caused the 49ers to fall short of a cherished goal of playing in the Super Bowl. It dashed the hopes of a capacity crowd at Candlestick Park on Sunday, as the 49ers lost 20-17 in a breathless, rain-soaked overtime thriller to the New York Giants in the NFC title game.

Kyle Williams, the 49ers' backup punt return specialist, fumbled a kick deep on his team's side of the field, opening the door for the Giants to kick a 31-yard field goal to end it. Williams, only 23 and a second-year player from Arizona State, had already made a critical error earlier in the game."