2012 San Francisco 49ers season

American football team season August 2023 March 2026 San Francisco 49ers 2012 11–4–1 1st NFC West 49ers uniforms12.png Jim Harbaugh Greg Roman Vic Fangio Trent Baalke Jed York Candlestick Park Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Packers) 45–31 Won NFC Championship(at Falcons) 28–24 Lost Super Bowl XLVII(vs. Ravens) 31–34 9 Selected but did not participate due to participation in Super Bowl XLVII: RB Frank Gore T Joe Staley G Mike Iupati DE Justin Smith OLB Aldon Smith ILB Patrick Willis ILB NaVorro Bowman FS Dashon Goldson SS Donte Whitner 10 G Mike Iupati (1st team) OLB Aldon Smith (1st team) ILB Patrick Willis (1st team) ILB NaVorro Bowman (1st team) S Dashon Goldson (1st team) P Andy Lee (1st team) T Joe Staley (2nd team) DE Justin Smith (2nd team) DT Justin Smith (2nd team) OLB Ahmad Brooks (2nd team) 49ers seasons The 2012 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 63rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 67th overall, their 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, losing 34–31 to the Baltimore Ravens. With that game, the Ravens replaced the 49ers as the only team with multiple appearances to never lose a Super Bowl; they have since been joined by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this capacity. 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. 3 2012 NFL draft 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 92Traded to the Indianapolis Colts Colts Trade [a]4 2 97Traded to the Miami Dolphins Dolpins Trade [b] From Colts2012 Trade [a] 8 103Traded to the Carolina Panthers Panthers Trade [c] From Dolphins2012 Trade [b] 22 117 Joe Looney OG 6'3" 309 lbs. Wake Forest 4 years From LionsLions Trade [d] 30 125Traded to the Detroit Lions Lions Trade [d] 5 30 165 Darius Fleming OLB 6'2" 245 lbs. Notre Dame 4 years6 10 180 Trenton Robinson FS 5'10" 195 lbs. Michigan State 4 years From Panthers2012 Trade [c] 26 196Traded to the Detroit Lions Lions Trade [d] From Dolphins2012 Trade [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 2012 Trade [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). 2012 Trade [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). 2012 Trade [c] The 49ers acquired the 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). 2012 Trade [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 #C8102E white #B9975B 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 coach – Jim Harbaugh 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 coordinator – Vic Fangio Defensive line – Jim Tomsula Linebackers – Jim Leavitt Secondary – Ed Donatell Assistant secondary – Greg Jackson Defensive assistant/quality control – Peter Hansen Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator – Brad Seely Special teams assistant – Tracy Smith Head strength and conditioning – Mark Uyeyama Assistant strength and conditioning – Kevin Tolbert Final roster 2012 San Francisco 49ers 53 7 7  7 Colin Kaepernick 11 Alex Smith  3 Scott Tolzien 24 Anthony Dixon 21 Frank Gore 33 Jewel Hampton y 23 LaMichael James y 49 Bruce Miller American football FB 15 Michael Crabtree 19 Ted Ginn Jr. RS 17 A. J. Jenkins y 84 Randy Moss 81 Garrett Celek y 85 Vernon Davis 46 Delanie Walker 75 Alex Boone G 76 Anthony Davis offensive tackle, born 1989 T 68 Leonard Davis G American football 59 Jonathan Goodwin American football C 77 Mike Iupati G 67 Daniel Kilgore American football C 66 Joe Looney offensive lineman y G 74 Joe Staley T 95 Ricky Jean Francois DE 63 Tony Jerod-Eddie y NT 91 Ray McDonald DE 90 Isaac Sopoaga NT 94 Justin Smith defensive end DE 92 Will Tukuafu DE 93 Ian Williams American football NT 96 Eric Bakhtiari OLB 53 NaVorro Bowman ILB 55 Ahmad Brooks OLB 56 Tavares Gooden ILB 54 Larry Grant American football ILB 51 Clark Haggans OLB 50 Cam Johnson y OLB defensive end 99 Aldon Smith OLB 57 Michael Wilhoite ILB 52 Patrick Willis ILB 26 Tramaine Brock CB 25 Tarell Brown CB 20 Perrish Cox CB 29 Chris Culliver CB 38 Dashon Goldson FS 28 Darcel McBath SS 30 Trenton Robinson y SS 22 Carlos Rogers American football CB 27 C. J. Spillman FS 31 Donte Whitner SS  2 David Akers K 86 Brian Jennings LS  4 Andy Lee American football P 83 Demarcus Dobbs TE IR 58 Darius Fleming y OLB PUP 98 Parys Haralson OLB IR 32 Kendall Hunter RB IR 45 Brandon Jacobs RB Susp. 82 Mario Manningham WR IR 10 Kyle Williams wide receiver, born 1988 WR IR 92 Lamar Divens NT 18 Ricardo Lockette WR 65 Al Netter y T 14 Chad Hall WR 35 Curtis Taylor American football S 36 Michael Thomas defensive back y S 69 Kenny Wiggins G 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.Dodds Eric Examining the 49ers Quarterback Controversy November 28, 2012 Time https://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/11/28/examining-the-49ers-quarterback-controversy/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121130214948/http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2012/11/28/examining-the-49ers-quarterback-controversy/ November 30, 2012 live Sando Mike Reaching back for 49ers QB parallels November 27, 2012 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/tag/_/name/alex-smith https://web.archive.org/web/20121031215137/http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/tag/_/name/alex-smith October 31, 2012 live 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.Colin Kaepernick to start for 49ers November 28, 2012 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8687095/colin-kaepernick-san-francisco-49ers-start-qb-st-louis-rams https://web.archive.org/web/20121201005506/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8687095/colin-kaepernick-san-francisco-49ers-start-qb-st-louis-rams December 1, 2012 live However, Kaepernick started the remainder of the season through Super Bowl XLVII. Smith was traded to Kansas City after the season.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/chiefs/2013/02/27/san-francisco-49ers-quarterback-alex-smith-traded-to-kansas-city-chiefs/1951179/ 49ers agree to trade quarterback Alex Smith to Chiefs Mike Garafolo Lindsay H. Jones February 27, 2013 USA Today March 12, 2022 Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 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 Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue 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, 2012 Seattle Seahawks W 13–6 5–2 Candlestick Park Recap 8 October 29, 2012 at Arizona Cardinals W 24–3 6–2 University of Phoenix Stadium Recap 9Bye 10 November 11 St. Louis Rams T 24–24 (OT) 6–2–1 Candlestick Park Recap 11 November 19, 2012 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. Game summaries Week 1 49ers 3 13 7 7 Packers 0 7 0 15 September 9 Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin 4:25 p.m. EDT 70,523 72 F C, Partly Cloudy David White Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver Fox yes 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 yes The 49ers started their season beating 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. They'd be the last team to beat the Packers in their home opener until the 2026 Falcons. Week 2 Lions 6 0 3 10 49ers 7 7 3 10 September 16 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 5:20 p.m. PDT 69,732 59 F C, Sunny Matt Nicks Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya NBC yes 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 yes Week 3 49ers 0 3 10 0 Vikings 7 10 0 7 September 23 Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1:00 p.m. EDT 57,288 indoors (dome) Ken Roan Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa Fox yes 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 yes Week 4 49ers 0 10 7 17 Jets 0 0 0 0 September 30 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 1:00 p.m. EDT 79,088 67 F C, Partly Cloudy Tony Corrente Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa Fox yes 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 yes Week 5 Bills 0 3 0 0 49ers 3 14 7 21 October 7 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 4:25 p.m. EDT 69,732 68 F C, Sunny Jerome Boger Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots CBS yes 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 yes Week 6 Giants 0 10 13 3 49ers 3 0 0 0 October 14 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 4:25 p.m. EDT 69,732 66 F C, Sunny John Parry Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver Fox yes 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 yes Week 7 Seahawks 3 3 0 0 49ers 3 0 7 3 October 18 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 80 F C, Sunny Walt Anderson Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, and Alex Flanagan NFLN Week 8 49ers 7 10 7 0 Cardinals 0 0 3 0 October 29 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 62,810 90 F C, Sunny Bill Leavy Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters ESPN 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. Colin Kaepernick on first team November 21, 2012 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8661168/colin-kaepernick-san-francisco-49ers-take-first-team-reps-practice-according-alex-smith https://web.archive.org/web/20121122105519/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8661168/colin-kaepernick-san-francisco-49ers-take-first-team-reps-practice-according-alex-smith November 22, 2012 live Week 10 Rams 14 0 3 7 0 49ers 0 7 0 17 0 November 11 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 69,732 59 F C, Sunny Clete Blakeman Chris Myers, Tim Ryan, and Jaime Maggio Fox 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. 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 Bears 0 0 7 0 49ers 10 10 7 5 November 19 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 69,732 61 F C, Cloudy Tony Corrente Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters ESPN 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.Samano Simon Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick? 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh wouldn't say after win over Bears November 20, 2012 USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/11/20/49ers-qb-controversy-colin-kaepernick-alex-smith/1716261/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121122112027/http://usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/11/20/49ers-qb-controversy-colin-kaepernick-alex-smith/1716261/ November 22, 2012 live He dismissed any rule that a player should not lose their starting job due to an injury.Harbaugh: 49ers will start 'hot hand' November 21, 2012 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/8654960/jim-harbaugh-says-san-francisco-49ers-starting-quarterback-determined-hot-hand-alex-smith-colin-kaepernick https://web.archive.org/web/20121121211731/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8654960/jim-harbaugh-says-san-francisco-49ers-starting-quarterback-determined-hot-hand-alex-smith-colin-kaepernick November 21, 2012 live Bell Jarrett Jim Harbaugh is playing with fire by inviting quarterback controversy November 20, 2012 USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/11/20/49ers-jim-harbaugh-colin-kaepernick-alex-smith-jarrett-bell/1718007/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121123114415/http://usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/11/20/49ers-jim-harbaugh-colin-kaepernick-alex-smith-jarrett-bell/1718007/ November 23, 2012 live With the win, the 49ers improved to 7–2–1. Week 12 49ers 7 7 14 3 Saints 7 7 7 0 November 25 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 73,147 indoors (dome) John Parry Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver Fox 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 2011 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.Sando Mike Victory trumps QB confusion for 49ers November 26, 2012 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/82689/victory-trumps-qb-confusion-for-49ers https://web.archive.org/web/20121126134925/http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/82689/victory-trumps-qb-confusion-for-49ers November 26, 2012 live Klemko Robert Kaepernick doesn't disappoint as 49ers defeat Saints November 26, 2012 USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/11/25/san-francisco-49ers-colin-kaepernick-new-orleans-saints/1726119/ https://web.archive.org/web/20121126171234/http://usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/11/25/san-francisco-49ers-colin-kaepernick-new-orleans-saints/1726119/ November 26, 2012 live Week 13 49ers 7 0 0 6 0 Rams 0 0 2 11 3 December 2 Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 57,279 indoors (dome) Carl Cheffers Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa Fox Week 14 Dolphins 0 3 3 7 49ers 0 6 7 14 December 9 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 69,732 63 F C, Sunny Mike Carey Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf CBS Week 15 49ers 7 10 14 10 Patriots 0 3 7 24 December 16 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts 8:20 p.m. EST 68,756 34 F C, Rain Ed Hochuli Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya NBC 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 49ers 0 6 0 7 Seahawks 14 14 7 7 December 23 CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington 8:20 p.m. EST 68,161 45 F C, Rain Bill Vinovich Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya NBC 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 Cardinals 3 3 0 7 49ers 0 7 10 10 December 30 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 4:25 p.m. EST 69,732 55 F C, Sunny Pete Morelli Gus Johnson, Charles Davis, and Kristina Pink Fox 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. Up 7–6 at halftime, the Niners outscored the Cardinals 20–7 in the second half to win the game 27–13 and finished the season with their 2nd straight division title and the NFC's #2 seed with a record of 11–4–1 while going 5–2 under Kaepernick as a starter. Standings Postseason schedule 2012–13 NFL playoffs Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap Wild CardFirst-round bye Divisional January 12, 2013 F j, Y 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 Game summaries NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Green Bay Packers Packers 14 7 3 7 49ers 7 17 7 14 January 12 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California 8:00 p.m. EST 69,732 45 F (Cloudy) Jerome Boger Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, and Erin Andrews Fox yes 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 yes 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.Inman Cam Putting Kaepernick's rushing performance in franchise, league perspective January 12, 2013 San Jose Mercury News https://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2013/01/12/putting-kaepernicks-rushing-performance-in-franchise-league-perspective/ January 14, 2013 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.Colin Kaepernick sets QB rushing mark as Niners oust Packers January 12, 2013 ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=330112025 January 14, 2013 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: at (1) Atlanta Falcons 49ers 0 14 7 7 Falcons 10 14 0 0 January 20 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 3:00 p.m. EST indoors (dome) Terry McAulay Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver, and Erin Andrews Fox yes 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 yes 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: vs. (A4) Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XLVII Ravens 7 14 7 6 49ers 3 3 17 8 February 3 Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 6:30 p.m. EST indoors (dome) Jerome Boger Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Solomon Wilcots, and Steve Tasker CBS yes 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 yes 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. This game became 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 Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 to not feature Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning. This tradition would hold until Super Bowl LIV, which ironically also featured the 49ers. References External links https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sfo/2012.htm 2012 San Francisco 49ers Statistics & Players Pro-Football-Reference.com San Francisco Category:San Francisco 49ers seasons Category:NFC West championship seasons Category:National Football Conference championship seasons San Category:2012 in San Francisco