It was a game that will live on for years in the minds of San Francisco 49ers fans. For sports fans everywhere, it was considered the best game of the year. The 49ers Divisional Playoff victory over the New Orleans Saints won the 2012 ESPY for Game of the Year on Wednesday.
The matchup scored a 96 on NFL.com's fan rating, which rates how memorable the game was. It was the highest such rating of any game from the 2011 season.
The 49ers beat the Saints 36-32 with quarterback Alex Smith completing a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vernon Davis with 9 seconds left. This was after Saints quarterback Drew Brees had helped put the Saints ahead.
It was the 49ers' first playoff game in nine years. This game was an instant classic and will be remembered with the some of the greatest San Francisco 49ers games of all-time.
The game was not without controversy as later on, leaked audio revealed that Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams had given a speech to his team urging them to target specific San Francisco 49ers players. The Saints would later be heavily fined for placing multiple bounties on players in NFL games.