Coaches preach treating every game the same way. It prevents off
days and keeps players from getting caught up in the pressure of
season openers, rivalry games or, say, the NFC Championship.
By letting his players embrace the moment this week, as they
prepare to take on the New York Giants for a spot in Super Bowl
XLVI, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is once again going against the
grain, and he just might change the way coaches think.
Coaches preach treating every game the same way. It prevents off days and keeps players from getting caught up in the pressure of season openers, rivalry games or, say, the NFC Championship.
It makes sense. How can you play at an optimal level when you’re trying “to do too much,” or just trying to avoid being that guy on national TV?
By letting his players embrace the moment this week, as they prepare to take on the New York Giants for a spot in Super Bowl XLVI, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is once again going against the grain, zigging where others zag. Given that he is 14-3 in his first year with the 49ers, off a 12-1 finish with Stanford in 2010-10, Harbaugh just might change the way coaches think.
He is daring his players to be heroes Sunday at Candlestick Park, just as he did the night before last Saturday’s divisional playoff against New Orleans. Harbaugh gathered his team to watch a motivational video featuring some of the most memorable highlights in NFL playoff history. He dared his players to be great, and the 49ers responded with a 36-32 masterpiece of a win over Drew Brees and the Saints.
There was Alex Smith orchestrating two go-ahead scoring drives in the final four minutes, the 49ers defense and special teams combining for five takeaways, David Akers connecting on field goals of 25, 41 and 37 yards, and Vernon Davis making “The Grab” with nine seconds left to seal it – a play for next year’s video.
In a refreshing break from what is normally heard from coaches on the precipice of history – “It’s just another game” – Harbaugh turned it up a notch Monday, recounting the “heroic” individual efforts from Saturday that got the 49ers here – their first conference title game since 1998 – and will be needed once again Sunday.
Most coaches would rather their players stay in their element on the big stage. Harbaugh of course is not like most coaches. His tell-it-like-it-is straightforwardness has rubbed off onto his players, who understand the magnitude of this week.
“I would be lying if I said we’re not thinking, ‘One win gets us in.’ We understand that,” 49ers safety Donte Whitner said. “It’s a lot of pressure, but we have to go out there and control our own destiny.”
The NFC West champs did so last Saturday in a way that reminded us of how much they’ve bought into their vibrant rookie coach.
For me the lasting images were San Francisco’s kickoff coverage team dancing to “Tony Montana” by Future in the second quarter, Smith celebrating after his 28-yard touchdown run with 2:11 remaining, and Davis in tears after his game-winning 14-yard touchdown reception; an image that conjured memories of Terrell Owens in 1999, when he was known as Terrell Owens.
It contrasted to the Niners’ buttoned-down days under Bill Walsh and George Seifert, but it was the same case of players taking after a winning coach. The 49ers rose to the occasion, just as Harbaugh conveyed they would need to in order to beat the slightly favored Saints.
Or as Davis put it at halftime:
“We only got one shot. If you don’t take advantage of it, you go home.”
San Francisco faces the same stakes this week against the red-hot New York Giants, who upended the defending Super Bowl-champion Green Bay Packers 37-20 last Sunday for their fourth straight win.
“For them to go into Green Bay, to go into Lambeau Field, that’s a task in itself,” wide receiver Kyle Williams said. “To do it the way they did it, they had to be playing very well.”
Both teams have thrown out their previous meeting in Week 10, when the 49ers needed a late stop to preserve a 27-20 victory.
“The Giants were playing harder and executing better and played as a team,” Harbaugh said of New York’s divisional playoff win. “That’s a formidable opponent. That is a worthy opponent. That is a scary opponent. We will have to come with every ounce of our ‘A’ game as well.”
In other words they must treat it like more than just another game.
