Alex Smith's rocket pass to Vernon Davis in the closing seconds of Saturday's victory over the New Orleans Saints brought more than joy for 49er fans in the area - it gave local businesses and bars one more week.
SAN FRANCISCO - He was always cerebral. We knew that. He was always polite. We knew that. He was always trying to prove he was more than a first-round bust or, most recently, so much more than a seat warmer while rookie Colin Kaepernick developed.
He was only 7-years-old when Bill Mifsud Sr. first saw the red of the San Francisco 49ers take the field. It was so long ago, the helmets weren't gold, instead they were made of leather.
David Akers' four field goals and Andy Lee's five soaring punts were mere appetizers in the 49ers' season-opening victory. The best was yet to come, both in terms of a playoff-bound season and that game.
ST. LOUIS - A quiet procession of glum-faced 49ers trudged into their locker room Sunday, showing no signs they just won their 13th game and clinched the NFC playoffs' No. 2 seed.
Looking back on 2011, as I have done this week compiling a year-in-review story for this newspaper, reminded me how much happens in a town where nothing happens.