"Alex Smith graciously conceded a point this past week. For all the slights and insults he has endured as a late-blooming quarterback drafted at No. 1, he acknowledged that Eli Manning, his counterpart in today's NFC Championship Game, has faced more obstacles.

"To be Peyton's little brother, No. 1 pick, you go to New York, playing for the Giants. Obviously, that's a lot of pressure," Smith said. "... Those are pretty unique circumstances. Your older brother is arguably maybe the greatest quarterback ever, and a lot of expectations on you. And then you go to a big city like New York. So, I didn't have to face those things."

The quarterbacks have had plenty of company in the game of proving critics wrong.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin looked like a goner five years ago. Publicly filleted by former running back Tiki Barber and believed to be too hard-headed to lead modern NFL players, Coughlin held on to his job and then won the Super Bowl. The grace period that came with that title seemed to expire this season, restarting calls for his departure. Reaching the NFL's Final Four should flip the hourglass all over again.

At the start of the season, the 49ers had three of the top 10 picks from the 2005 draft on their roster, all seeking football's version of redemption. Smith and cornerback Carlos Rogers, the No. 9 pick, found it. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards, the third pick, couldn't wrap his hands around much of anything, except his release papers."