"The disappointment of Sunday's overtime loss to the New York Giants cannot eclipse the thrills and wonder of the San Francisco 49ers' remarkable run this season.

Only the most delusional of fans could have imagined before the season that rookie coach Jim Harbaugh could take this team – with Alex Smith at quarterback, no less – to the brink of the Super Bowl. Yet he did.

This was a team in Harbaugh's image: tough, fiery and disciplined at avoiding errors. On Sunday, San Francisco went toe-to-toe with a New York team that was also on a mission – until the 49ers' chances slipped away with an overtime fumble."