2012 San Francisco 49ers season

The 2012 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 63rd season in the National Football League, the 67th overall, the second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke, and their penultimate season at Candlestick Park. After going 13–3 and reaching the NFC Championship the year before, the 49ers topped that success with their first NFC championship since 1994 as well as their sixth overall as a franchise, overcoming a 17–0 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 28–24 on January 20, 2013 in the NFC title game. However, the season ended with their first-ever defeat in the Super Bowl, falling to the Baltimore Ravens, 34–31. With that game, the Ravens replaced the 49ers as the only team with multiple appearances to never lose a Super Bowl.

2012 San Francisco 49ers season
Owner	Jed York
Head coach	Jim Harbaugh
General manager	Trent Baalke
Home field	Candlestick Park
Results
Record	11–4–1
Division place	1st NFC West
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Packers) 45–31 Won NFC Championship (at Falcons) 28–24 Lost Super Bowl XLVII (vs. Ravens) 31–34
Pro Bowlers	9 Selected but did not participate due to participation in Super Bowl XLVII: RB Frank Gore OT Joe Staley OG Mike Iupati DT Justin Smith OLB Aldon Smith ILB Patrick Willis ILB NaVorro Bowman FS Dashon Goldson SS Donte Whitner
AP All-Pros	Patrick Willis (1st team) NaVorro Bowman (1st team) Justin Smith (2nd team) Mike Iupati (1st team) Andy Lee (1st team) Dashon Goldson (1st team) Joe Staley (2nd team) Ahmad Brooks (2nd team) Aldon Smith (1st team)
Uniform

This season was also highlighted by the signing of star wide receiver Randy Moss, who had come out of retirement after initially retiring following the 2010 season. As a 49er, Moss appeared in his second Super Bowl but failed to win one again as he previously lost in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants when he was part of the 2007 New England Patriots.

2012 NFL Draft

San Francisco 49ers 2012 NFL Draft selections

Draft order			Player name	Position	Height	Weight	College	Contract	Notes
Round	Choice	Overall
1	30	30	A. J. Jenkins	WR	6'0"	192 lbs.	Illinois	4 years
2	29	61	LaMichael James	RB	5'8"	194 lbs.	Oregon	4 years
3	29	92	Traded to the Indianapolis Colts ^[a]
4	2	97	Traded to the Miami Dolphins ^[b]						From Colts^[a]
	8	103	Traded to the Carolina Panthers ^[c]						From Dolphins^[b]
	22	117	Joe Looney	OG	6'3"	309 lbs.	Wake Forest	4 years	From Lions^[d]
	30	125	Traded to the Detroit Lions ^[d]
5	30	165	Darius Fleming	OLB	6'2"	245 lbs.	Notre Dame	4 years
6	10	180	Trenton Robinson	FS	5'10"	195 lbs.	Michigan State	4 years	From Panthers^[c]
	26	196	Traded to the Detroit Lions ^[d]						From Dolphins^[b]
	29	199	Jason Slowey	Center	6'3"	303 lbs.	Western Oregon	Released
7	30	237	Cam Johnson	DE	6'3"	268 lbs.	Virginia	2 years

NOTES

^{^[a]} The 49ers acquired this fourth-round selection from the Indianapolis Colts along with a 2013 fifth-round selection in exchange for a 2012 third-round selection (#92 overall; used to select WR T. Y. Hilton).

^{^[b]} The 49ers acquired this fourth-round selection from the Miami Dolphins along with a sixth-round selection (#196 overall) and a 2013 sixth-round selection in exchange for a 2012 fourth-round selection (#97 overall; used to select RB Lamar Miller).

^{^[c]} The 49ers acquired this sixth-round selection from the Carolina Panthers along with a 2013 third-round selection in exchange for a 2012 fourth-round selection (#103 overall; used to select DE Frank Alexander).

^{^[d]} The 49ers acquired this fourth-round selection from the Detroit Lions in exchange for a 2012 fourth-round selection (#125 overall; used to select LB Ronnell Lewis)and a 2012 sixth-round selection (#196 overall; used to select DB Jonte Green).

Staff

2012 San Francisco 49ers staff

	Front office Co-Chairman – Denise DeBartolo York Co-Chairman – John York CEO/Owner – Jed York President/Co-Owner – Gideon Yu General Manager – Trent Baalke Director of Player Personnel – Tom Gamble Director of College Scouting – Joel Patten Director of Football Administration – Brian Hampton Head coaches Head Coach – Jim Harbaugh Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Greg Roman Quarterbacks – Geep Chryst Running Backs – Tom Rathman Wide Receivers – John Morton Tight Ends – Reggie Davis Offensive Line – Tim Drevno Offensive Line – Mike Solari Offensive Assistant – Michael Christianson Offensive Assistant – Ejiro Evero Offensive Assistant – Paul Wulff			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Vic Fangio Defensive Line – Jim Tomsula Linebackers – Jim Leavitt Secondary – Ed Donatell Assistant Secondary – Greg Jackson Defensive Assistant/Quality Control – Peter Hansen Special teams coaches Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator – Brad Seely Special Teams Assistant – Tracy Smith Strength and conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Mark Uyeyama Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Kevin Tolbert

Final roster

2012 San Francisco 49ers final roster

	Quarterbacks  7 Colin Kaepernick 11 Alex Smith  3 Scott Tolzien Running backs 24 Anthony Dixon 21 Frank Gore 33 Jewel Hampton 23 LaMichael James 49 Bruce Miller FB Wide receivers 15 Michael Crabtree 19 Ted Ginn, Jr. 14 Chad Hall 17 A. J. Jenkins 84 Randy Moss Tight ends 81 Garrett Celek 85 Vernon Davis 46 Delanie Walker		Offensive linemen 75 Alex Boone G/T 76 Anthony Davis T 68 Leonard Davis G 59 Jonathan Goodwin C 77 Mike Iupati G 67 Daniel Kilgore G/C 66 Joe Looney G 74 Joe Staley T Defensive linemen 95 Ricky Jean-Francois DE 63 Tony Jerod-Eddie DE 91 Ray McDonald DE 90 Isaac Sopoaga NT 94 Justin Smith DE 48 Will Tukuafu DE 93 Ian Williams NT		Linebackers 53 NaVorro Bowman ILB 55 Ahmad Brooks OLB 56 Tavares Gooden ILB 54 Larry Grant ILB 51 Clark Haggans OLB 50 Cam Johnson OLB 99 Aldon Smith OLB 57 Michael Wilhoite ILB 52 Patrick Willis ILB Defensive backs 26 Tramaine Brock CB 25 Tarell Brown CB 20 Perrish Cox CB 29 Chris Culliver CB 38 Dashon Goldson FS 28 Darcel McBath FS 30 Trenton Robinson FS 22 Carlos Rogers CB 27 C. J. Spillman SS 31 Donte Whitner SS Special teams  2 David Akers K 86 Brian Jennings LS  4 Andy Lee P		Reserve lists 83 Demarcus Dobbs TE (IR) 58 Darius Fleming OLB (PUP) 98 Parys Haralson OLB (IR) 32 Kendall Hunter RB (IR) 82 Mario Manningham WR (IR) 10 Kyle Williams WR (IR) Practice squad 92 Lamar Divens NT 18 Ricardo Lockette WR 65 Al Netter OT -- Nathan Stupar ILB 35 Curtis Taylor FS 36 Michael Thomas FS 69 Kenny Wiggins OT Rookies in italics 53 active, 6 inactive, 7 practice squad

Quarterback controversy

Quarterback Alex Smith missed two starts mid-season after suffering a concussion, and backup Colin Kaepernick successfully filled in. A quarterback controversy began. Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), led the league in completion percentage (70%), and had been 19–5–1 as a starter under Harbaugh, while Kaepernick was considered more dynamic with his scrambling ability and arm strength.[1][2] After Smith was fully recovered, Harbaugh chose Kaepernick as the starter for the 8–2–1 49ers, but also stated that the assignment was week-to-week and not necessarily permanent.[3] However, Kaepernick started the remainder of the season through Super Bowl XLVII.

Preseason Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	NFL.com recap
1	August 10	Minnesota Vikings	W 17–6	1–0	Candlestick Park	Recap
2	August 18	at Houston Texans	L 9–20	1–1	Reliant Stadium	Recap
3	August 26	at Denver Broncos	W 29–24	2–1	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
4	August 30	San Diego Chargers	W 35–3	3–1	Candlestick Park	Recap

Regular Season Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	NFL.com recap
1	September 9	at Green Bay Packers	W 30–22	1–0	Lambeau Field	Recap
2	September 16	Detroit Lions	W 27–19	2–0	Candlestick Park	Recap
3	September 23	at Minnesota Vikings	L 13–24	2–1	Mall of America Field	Recap
4	September 30	at New York Jets	W 34–0	3–1	MetLife Stadium	Recap
5	October 7	Buffalo Bills	W 45–3	4–1	Candlestick Park	Recap
6	October 14	New York Giants	L 3–26	4–2	Candlestick Park	Recap
7	October 18	Seattle Seahawks	W 13–6	5–2	Candlestick Park	Recap
8	October 29	at Arizona Cardinals	W 24–3	6–2	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 11	St. Louis Rams	T 24–24 (OT)	6–2–1	Candlestick Park	Recap
11	November 19	Chicago Bears	W 32–7	7–2–1	Candlestick Park	Recap
12	November 25	at New Orleans Saints	W 31–21	8–2–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
13	December 2	at St. Louis Rams	L 13–16 (OT)	8–3–1	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
14	December 9	Miami Dolphins	W 27–13	9–3–1	Candlestick Park	Recap
15	December 16	at New England Patriots	W 41–34	10–3–1	Gillette Stadium	Recap
16	December 23	at Seattle Seahawks	L 13–42	10–4–1	CenturyLink Field	Recap
17	December 30	Arizona Cardinals	W 27–13	11–4–1	Candlestick Park	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 3 13 7 7 30 Packers 0 7 0 15 22 Date: September 9 Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin Game start: 4:25 p.m. EDT Game attendance: 70,523 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Partly Cloudy Referee: David White TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver

Scoring summary 1 4:53 SF David Akers 40 yard field goal 49ers 3–0 2 11:10 SF Randy Moss 14 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 10–0 2 4:40 GB Jermichael Finley 1 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick) 49ers 10–7 2 :55 SF David Akers 44 yard field goal 49ers 13–7 2 :00 SF David Akers 63 yard field goal 49ers 16–7 3 8:16 SF Vernon Davis 4 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 23–7 4 11:16 GB Randall Cobb 75 yard punt return (Jordy Nelson pass from Aaron Rodgers) 49ers 23–15 4 8:41 SF Frank Gore 23 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 30–15 4 6:05 GB James Jones 10 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick) 49ers 30–22

The 49ers prove they are a force to be reckoned with in the NFL as they beat the Packers 30–22. This is the 49ers first win at Lambeau Field since 1990. With the win, the 49ers started their season 1–0.

Week 2

1 2 3 4 Total Lions 6 0 3 10 19 • 49ers 7 7 3 10 27 Date: September 16 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game start: 5:20 p.m. PDT Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), Sunny Referee: Matt Nicks TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya

Scoring summary 1 12:25 SF Vernon Davis 21 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 7–0 1 7:47 DET Jason Hanson 38 yard field goal 49ers 7–3 1 6:43 DET Jason Hanson 41 yard field goal 49ers 7–6 2 14:57 SF Frank Gore 1 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 14–6 3 9:42 SF David Akers 36 yard field goal 49ers 17–6 3 3:40 DET Jason Hanson 40 yard field goal 49ers 17–9 4 14:42 SF David Akers 48 yard field goal 49ers 20–9 4 9:16 DET Jason Hanson 48 yard field goal 49ers 20–12 4 3:04 SF Vernon Davis 23 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 27–12 4 1:29 DET Brandon Pettigrew 9 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick) 49ers 27–19

With the win, the 49ers improved to 2–0.

Week 3

1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 0 3 10 0 13 • Vikings 7 10 0 7 24 Date: September 23 Location: Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota Game start: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game attendance: 57,288 Game weather: indoors (dome) Referee: Ken Roan TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa

Scoring summary 1 7:20 MIN Kyle Rudolph 1 yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick) Vikings 7–0 2 12:13 SF David Akers 29 yard field goal Vikings 7–3 2 5:29 MIN Christian Ponder 23 yard run (Blair Walsh kick) Vikings 14–3 2 :00 MIN Blair Walsh 52 yard field goal Vikings 17–3 3 12:46 SF David Akers 29 yard field goal Vikings 17–6 3 6:17 SF Vernon Davis 1 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) Vikings 17–13 4 14:17 MIN Kyle Rudolph 2 yard pass from Christian Ponder (Blair Walsh kick) Vikings 24–13

With the loss, the 49ers fell to 2–1 and into a tie with the Seahawks in 2nd place in the NFC West behind the 3–0 Cardinals.

Week 4

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 0 10 7 17 34 Jets 0 0 0 0 0 Date: September 30 Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Game start: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game attendance: 79,088 Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Partly Cloudy Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa

Scoring summary 2 13:37 SF Colin Kaepernick 7 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 7–0 2 :00 SF David Akers 36 yard field goal 49ers 10–0 3 2:49 SF Frank Gore 2 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 17–0 4 14:46 SF Carlos Rogers 51 yard fumble return (David Akers kick) 49ers 24–0 4 8:23 SF David Akers 40 yard field goal 49ers 27–0 4 6:03 SF Kendall Hunter 1 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 34–0

After a tough road loss, the Niners continued on the road to face the Jets. The team would improve to 3–1 as they handed the Jets their 2nd shutout home loss in 2 years.

Week 5

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 3 0 0 3 • 49ers 3 14 7 21 45 Date: October 7 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game start: 4:25 p.m. EDT Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), Sunny Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Scoring summary 1 7:25 SF David Akers 19 yard field goal 49ers 3–0 2 10:46 BUF Rian Lindell 31 yard field goal Tie 3–3 2 9:54 SF Kyle Williams 43 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 10–3 2 :24 SF Michael Crabtree 28 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 17–3 3 9:06 SF Frank Gore 1 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 24–3 4 14:12 SF Mario Manningham 10 yard pass from Alex Smith (David Akers kick) 49ers 31–3 4 9:55 SF Colin Kaepernick 16 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 38–3 4 1:11 SF Anthony Dixon 3 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 45–3

With the huge win, the 49ers improved to 4–1. 2–0 against the AFC East.

Week 6

1 2 3 4 Total • Giants 0 10 13 3 26 49ers 3 0 0 0 3 Date: October 14 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game start: 4:25 p.m. EDT Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), Sunny Referee: John Parry TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver

Scoring summary 1 2:00 SF David Akers 42 yard field goal 49ers 3–0 2 10:04 NYG Victor Cruz 6 yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) Giants 7–3 2 2:56 NYG Lawrence Tynes 34 yard field goal Giants 10–3 3 11:48 NYG Ahmad Bradshaw 1 yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick) Giants 17–3 3 9:51 NYG Lawrence Tynes 30 yard field goal Giants 20–3 3 6:10 NYG Lawrence Tynes 22 yard field goal Giants 23–3 4 1:56 NYG Lawrence Tynes 32 yard field goal Giants 26–3

With the huge loss, the 49ers fell to 4–2.

Week 7

1 2 3 4 Total Seahawks 3 3 0 0 6 • 49ers 3 0 7 3 13 Date: October 18 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), Sunny Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, and Alex Flanagan

With the win, the 49ers improved to 5–2.

Week 8

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 7 10 7 0 24 Cardinals 0 0 3 0 3 Date: October 29 Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Game attendance: 62,810 Game weather: 90 °F (32 °C), Sunny Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters

Alex Smith completed 18-of-19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 24–3 Monday night win over Arizona. With the win, the 49ers went into their bye week at 6–2.

[4]

Week 10

1 2 3 4 OT Total Rams 14 0 3 7 0 24 49ers 0 7 0 17 0 24 Date: November 11 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), Sunny Referee: Clete Blakeman TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Tim Ryan, and Jaime Maggio

Smith suffered a concussion in the second quarter, throwing a touchdown with blurred vision before exiting the game. He was replaced by Colin Kaepernick, and the game ended in a 24–24 tie.[4]

With the tie game, the Niners' season stood at 6–2–1. This would also be the first NFL tie game since 2008 when the Bengals and Eagles played to a 13-point tie. This is also the first tie game between both the Rams and Niners since a 20–20 tie game in 1968.

Week 11

1 2 3 4 Total Bears 0 0 7 0 7 • 49ers 10 10 7 5 32 Date: November 19 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), Cloudy Referee: Tony Corrente TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters

Kaepernick started his first NFL game with Smith out with a concussion from the previous week. Kaepernick completed 16 of 23 for 246 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 32–7 win against a strong Bears defense. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke highly of Kaepernick's performance after the game, leaving open the possibility of Kaepernick continuing to start. "Usually tend to go with the guy who's got the hot hand, and we've got two quarterbacks that have got a hot hand," Harbaugh said.[5] He dismissed any rule that a player should not lose their starting job due to an injury.[6][7] With the win, the 49ers improved to 7–2–1.

Week 12

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 7 7 14 3 31 Saints 7 7 7 0 21 Date: November 25 Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Game attendance: 73,147 Game weather: indoors (dome) Referee: John Parry TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver

Smith was cleared to play the day before the game, but Harbaugh chose not to rush him back and again started Kaepernick. In a rematch of the 2012 playoffs against New Orleans, the 49ers won 31–21 with Kaepernick throwing for a touchdown and running for another. The 49ers defense also returned two Drew Brees interceptions for touchdowns. With the win, the Niners improved to 8–2–1 and also to 2–0 under Kaepernick as a starter.[8][9]

Week 13

1 2 3 4 OT Total 49ers 7 0 0 6 0 13 • Rams 0 0 2 11 3 16 Date: December 2 Location: Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri Game attendance: 57,279 Game weather: indoors (dome) Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa

With their loss to the Rams, the 49ers fell to 8–3–1 on the season. Kaepernick's record as a starter dropped to 2–1.

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total Dolphins 0 3 3 7 13 • 49ers 0 6 7 14 27 Date: December 9 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), Sunny Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

With the win the 49ers improved to 9–3–1 giving them their 2nd straight winning season and moving to 3–0 against the AFC East. Also Kaepernick's starting record improved to 3–1.

Week 15

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 7 10 14 10 41 Patriots 0 3 7 24 34 Date: December 16 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Game start: 8:20 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,756 Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C), Rain Referee: Ed Hochuli TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya

The 49ers held on to win despite a furious Patriots rally where they erased a 31-3 San Francisco lead to tie the game. With the win the 49ers improved to 10–3–1 and became the only team in the NFC West to defeat all 4 AFC East teams. Kaepernick's starting record also improved to 4–1.

Week 16

1 2 3 4 Total 49ers 0 6 0 7 13 • Seahawks 14 14 7 7 42 Date: December 23 Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington Game start: 8:20 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,161 Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Rain Referee: Bill Vinovich TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya

The game was originally scheduled for 1:25 PM PST, but was flexed to the Sunday night slot, thus denying Fox a chance to air a game between the 49ers and Seahawks in 2012 as the game in Candlestick Park was played on a Thursday night.

Week 17

1 2 3 4 Total Cardinals 3 3 0 7 13 • 49ers 0 7 10 10 27 Date: December 30 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game start: 4:25 p.m. EST Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), Sunny Referee: Pete Morelli TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson, Charles Davis, and Kristina Pink

The Niners returned home for a Week 17 rematch against the Cardinals. Needing a win to capture the NFC West crown, the team would be down 3–0 after the first quarter. But rallied from a 7–6 halftime lead to win the game 27–13 and finished the season with their 2nd straight division title and of course the NFC's #2 seed with a record of 11–4–1 while going 5–2 under Kaepernick as a starter.

Standings

NFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(2) San Francisco 49ers	11	4	1	.719	3–2–1	7–4–1	397	273	W1
^(5) Seattle Seahawks	11	5	0	.688	3–3	8–4	412	245	W5
St. Louis Rams	7	8	1	.469	4–1–1	6–5–1	299	348	L1
Arizona Cardinals	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3-9	250	357	L2

Postseason Schedule

Playoff round	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	First-round bye
Divisional	January 12, 2013	Green Bay Packers (3)	W 45–31	1–0	Candlestick Park	Recap
NFC Championship	January 20, 2013	at Atlanta Falcons (1)	W 28–24	2–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
Super Bowl XLVII	February 3, 2013	vs. Baltimore Ravens (A4)	L 31–34	2–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap

Postseason Results

Divisional Round vs. Green Bay Packers

1 2 3 4 Total Packers 14 7 3 7 31 • 49ers 7 17 7 14 45 Date: January 12 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game start: 8:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 69,732 Game weather: 45°F (Cloudy) Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, and Erin Andrews

Scoring summary 1 12:48 GB Sam Shields 52 yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick) Packers 7–0 1 9:01 SF Colin Kaepernick 20 yard run (David Akers kick) Tie 7–7 1 :29 GB DuJuan Harris 18 yard run (Mason Crosby kick) Packers 14–7 2 10:59 SF Michael Crabtree 12 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (David Akers kick) Tie 14–14 2 5:26 SF Michael Crabtree 20 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (David Akers kick) 49ers 21–14 2 2:33 GB James Jones 20 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick) Tie 21–21 2 :00 SF David Akers 36 yard field goal 49ers 24–21 3 8:25 GB Mason Crosby 31 yard field goal Tie 24–24 3 7:07 SF Colin Kaepernick 56 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 31–24 4 14:57 SF Frank Gore 2 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 38–24 4 3:34 SF Anthony Dixon 2 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 45–24 4 :57 GB Greg Jennings 3 yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick) 49ers 45–31

In his first career playoff game, 25-year-old 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns, setting both the NFL single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback as well as the 49ers postseason record for rushing, regardless of position.[10][11] He also passed for 263 yards and two scores. Overall, San Francisco racked up 579 yards, including a franchise record 323 rushing yards, and scored a touchdown in every quarter to earn their second consecutive trip to the NFC championship game.[10]

However, Kaepernick didn't get off to a good start. Less than two minutes into the game, he threw a pass that was intercepted by Sam Shields and returned 52 yards for a touchdown. But he quickly rallied his team back, completing a 45-yard pass to running back Frank Gore before taking the ball into the end zone himself on a 20-yard run. Later in the period, Green Bay took a 14–7 lead with Aaron Rodgers' 44-yard completion to James Jones setting up an 18-yard touchdown run by DuJuan Harris. The Packers then forced a punt, but returner Jeremy Ross muffed the kick and C. J. Spillman recovered it for San Francisco on the Packers 9-yard line. Two plays later, Kaepernick tied the score at 14 with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree. Then defensive back Tarell Brown intercepted a pass from Rodgers, setting up Kaepernick's second touchdown pass to Crabtree, this one from 20 yards out.

With 2:39 left in the half, Rodgers' 20-yard touchdown pass to Jones tied the score at 21. But on the 49ers next drive, a pair of runs by Kaepernick for gains of 19 and 17 yards enabled David Akers to kick a 36-yard field goal, sending the teams into their lockers rooms with San Francisco leading 24–21.

In the third quarter, Green Bay drove 76 yards in 9 plays, featuring a 30-yard reception by Greg Jennings and scored a Mason Crosby field goal. But the tie turned out to be short lived. On the third play of their next drive, Kaepernick faked a handoff, rolled right, and took off for a career long 56-yard touchdown run, retaking the lead at 31–24. Then after a punt, he completed a 44-yard pass to tight end Vernon Davis, setting up Gore's 2-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Following another punt, Kaepernick led the 49ers back for more points, this time on a 93-yard drive. First he ran for a 16-yard gain, and later he completed a 17-yard throw to tight end Delanie Walker. On the next play, Gore's 26-yard burst moved the ball to the Packers 27-yard line. Anthony Dixon eventually finished the 11-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, making the score 45–24.

With under a minute left, Rodgers threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jennings. But any hope of a miracle comeback was dashed when Walker recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt.

Crabtree was the top receiver of the game, with 9 catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Gore rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 48 yards. Linebacker Patrick Willis had 7 tackles and a sack. Rodgers finished 26/39 for 257 yards and two touchdowns, with 1 interception, while also rushing for 28 yards. Kaepernick finished the game responsible for more yards gained (444) than the entire Packers team (352).

NFC Championship Game vs. Atlanta Falcons

1 2 3 4 Total • 49ers 0 14 7 7 28 Falcons 10 14 0 0 24 Date: January 20 Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia Game start: 3:00 p.m. EST Game weather: indoors (dome) Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver

Scoring summary 1 11:24 ATL Julio Jones 11 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Falcons 7–0 1 3:20 ATL Matt Bryant 35 yard field goal Falcons 10–0 2 14:54 ATL Julio Jones 20 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Falcons 17–0 2 8:08 SF LaMichael James 15 yard run (David Akers kick) Falcons 17–7 2 1:55 SF Vernon Davis 4 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (David Akers kick) Falcons 17–14 2 :25 ATL Tony Gonzalez 10 yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick) Falcons 24–14 3 10:47 SF Frank Gore 5 yard run (David Akers kick) Falcons 24–21 4 8:23 SF Frank Gore 9 yard run (David Akers kick) 49ers 28–24

San Francisco overcame a 17-point deficit, the largest comeback ever in an NFC championship game, to earn their sixth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Atlanta dominated the first quarter, mainly on plays by receiver Julio Jones, who caught 5 passes in it for 100 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown catch on their opening drive, and a 27-yard reception on their next drive to set up a Matt Bryant field goal. Following a punt, Matt Ryan hit Roddy White for a 23-yard gain on the last play of the first quarter. Then he threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jones on the first play of the second, giving the Falcons a 17–0 lead.

This time San Francisco struck back with an 80-yard scoring drive, with Frank Gore rushing for 20 yards and Vernon Davis catching a pass for 27. LaMichael James finished the drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. Then after forcing a three-and-out, Colin Kaepernick rushed for 23 yards and completed three passes to Davis for 48 yards, the last a 4-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17–14. But Atlanta stormed back as Ryan completed five passes for double-digit gains on their next drive, the last one a 10-yard score to tight end Tony Gonzalez with 25 seconds left in the half.

The 49ers took the opening kickoff and drove 82 yards, with Kaepernick completing two passes to Randy Moss for 38 yards and one to tight end Delanie Walker for 20. Gore completed the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, cutting their deficit to 24–21. On Atlanta's ensuing possession, defensive back Chris Culliver gave San Francisco a great chance to tie or take the lead by intercepting a pass from Ryan and returning it to the Falcons 25-yard line. But San Francisco failed to gain a first down and came up empty when David Akers hit the uprights on a 38-yard field goal try. Later on, the 49ers got another scoring opportunity when defensive lineman Aldon Smith recovered a fumble from Ryan on his own 40-yard line. They subsequently drove deep into Falcons territory, but once again they failed to score when defensive back Dunta Robinson stripped the ball from Michael Crabtree on the 1-yard line as he was trying to get in for the go-ahead score, and linebacker Stephen Nichols recovered it.

With 12 minutes left in regulation, Ted Ginn, Jr.'s 20-yard punt return gave San Francisco the ball on the Falcons 38-yard line. Five plays later, Gore scored his second touchdown on a 9-yard run, giving the 49ers their first lead of the game at 28–24. Atlanta responded with a drive to the 49ers 13-yard line, but consecutive incompletions on third and fourth down caused a turnover on downs with just 1:13 left in the game.

Atlanta managed to force a punt and get the ball with 13 seconds to go. Ryan completed a pass to Jones on the final play, but he was tackled at the 49ers 35-yard line as time expired.

Kaepernick finished 16/21 for 233 yards and a touchdown, along with 21 rushing yards. Davis caught 5 passes for 106 yards and a score. Gore rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan completed 30 of 42 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Jones caught 11 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns, while White had 7 receptions for 100 yards. Gonzalez caught 8 passes for 78 yards and a score.

Super Bowl XLVII

1 2 3 4 Total • Ravens 7 14 7 6 34 49ers 3 3 17 8 31 Date: February 3 Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Game start: 6:30 p.m. EST Game weather: indoors (dome) Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Solomon Wilcots, and Steve Tasker

Scoring summary 1 10:36 BAL Anquan Boldin 13 yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 7–0 1 3:58 SF David Akers 36 yard field goal Ravens 7–3 2 7:10 BAL Dennis Pitta 1 yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 14–3 2 1:45 BAL Jacoby Jones 56 yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 21–3 2 :00 SF David Akers 27 yard field goal Ravens 21–6 3 14:49 BAL Jacoby Jones 108 yard kickoff return (Justin Tucker kick) Ravens 28–6 3 7:20 SF Michael Crabtree 31 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick (David Akers kick) Ravens 28–13 3 4:59 SF Frank Gore 6 yard run (David Akers kick) Ravens 28–20 3 3:10 SF David Akers 34 yard field goal Ravens 28–23 4 12:54 BAL Justin Tucker 19 yard field goal Ravens 31–23 4 9:57 SF Colin Kaepernick 15 yard run (pass failed) Ravens 31–29 4 4:19 BAL Justin Tucker 38 yard field goal Ravens 34–29 4 :04 SF Safety, Sam Koch ran out of end zone Ravens 34–31

In what seemed like it would be a blowout win for the Ravens, the Niners rallied in the 2nd half. With the Ravens leading 28–6, Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff for a touchdown at the start of the 2nd half. For a period, the 49ers outscored the Ravens 25–6, and had a chance to take the lead late in the game. However, the Ravens defense was strong, stopping the 49ers offense at the 4 yard line and forcing a turnover on downs. This marked the first time ever in franchise history the Niners had lost a Super Bowl as their overall record dropped to 13–5–1 on the season and 2–1 in the postseason. The loss made their Super Bowl record 5–1. This game is known as "The Harbowl", as it was the first time in Super Bowl history two brothers faced off against each other as coaches. Additionally, it was the first (and the only as of the 2017 season) Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 to not feature the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts or Denver Broncos as the AFC champions.

References

1. Dodds, Eric (November 28, 2012). "Examining the 49ers Quarterback Controversy". time.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012.
2. Sando, Mike (November 27, 2012). "Reaching back for 49ers QB parallels". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012.
3. "Colin Kaepernick to start for 49ers". ESPN.com. November 28, 2012. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012.
4. "Colin Kaepernick on first team". ESPN.com. November 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012.
5. Samano, Simon (November 20, 2012). "Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick? 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh wouldn't say after win over Bears". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 21, 2012.
6. "Harbaugh: 49ers will start 'hot hand'". ESPN.com. November 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012.
7. Bell, Jarrett (November 20, 2012). "Jim Harbaugh is playing with fire by inviting quarterback controversy". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012.
8. Sando, Mike (November 26, 2012). "Victory trumps QB confusion for 49ers". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 26, 2012.
9. Klemko, Robert (November 26, 2012). "Kaepernick doesn't disappoint as 49ers defeat Saints". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 26, 2012.
10. "Colin Kaepernick sets QB rushing mark as Niners oust Packers". ESPN.com. January 12, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
11. Inman, Cam (January 12, 2013). "Putting Kaepernick's rushing performance in franchise, league perspective". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved January 14, 2013.

External links

• Official website