Ryan's Reaction: 49ers' Improbable Year Ends at NFC Title Game

Kyle Williams sadly etched his name in Niners lore for all the wrong reasons Sunday night.

1) CONTROVERSIAL CALLS? I'm sorry, but I was listening to KNBR's Red & Gold Wrap-up on the drive back to my apartment, and some of these fans calling in were out of their minds. There was no controversy with any of the calls. The refs got every review right, and while pairing this defeat with the 1990-91 NFC Title Game loss on the same Candlestick field to the same Giants franchise made tonight even more painful, the Niners lost fair and square.

2) WHAT TO DO WITH ALEX? To the caller who argued we should lock up Alex Smith long-term because of his performance this year as well as his "selfnessness" in taking less money to stay in S.F. over the years, that is just untrue. He took a "paycut" from 2009-11 because there were NO OTHER TAKERS!

To be fair, he played well enough this year in a game-managing role to earn the right to return. But is one great drive last week combined with a 12-for-26 line tonight worthy of a long-term deal? He clearly didn't earn the first $35 million he got from 2005-10.

The truth is that Smith didn't lose this game, but as has been the case all season long with the exception of the Saints game, he didn't win it either. So the question becomes, do you upgrade?

Because they will draft Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, the Colts will figure out whether or not to put Peyton Manning on the trading block. While he's the only signal-caller whom I could think of that I would want, you don't know what his health is like, much less if he'll play again. And with the Raiders' deal with Cincinnati for Carson Palmer as a precedent, he'll command no less than two first-rounders and probably an additional second or third-rounder.

If the Niners feel they must win now, and they can strike a deal with Indianapolis that would make the second of the two first-round picks conditional upon Manning playing a sufficient percentage of snaps next year, then it would be hard to pass up on that offer.

The team already has a young quarterback in soon-to-be second-year signal-caller Colin Kaepernick. However in his last job in the college ranks, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh did recruit Heisman Robert Griffin of Baylor. If he became available, you have to wonder if he and general manager Trent Baalke would pull the trigger. Maybe they include Kaepernick in a deal to trade up. The question becomes how Harbaugh feels about Kaepernick's future if he wasn't ready enough to beat out Smith this year.

My solution: If you can't find an upgrade through a trade or free agency (which will be hard given this market), sign him to a two-year deal (in the NFL that really means two one-year contracts), keep a vigilant eye on Kaepernick's offseason workouts, and acquire both a No. 1 receiver and a productive threat in the slot to compensate for whatever deficiencies Smith has--because it looks like you're stuck with him for 2012. Michael Crabtree disappeared tonight and perhaps would flourish without the pressure of having to be the Z pass-catcher.

3) BOLSTER THE SECONDARY. One thing Baalke should address in the offseason is adding more depth at cornerback. When Tarell Brown left the game via injury, the Giants went right at his replacement Tramaine Brock for what ended up being a crucial touchdown. That's the only hole in what I thought was the best defense in the NFC.

4) KYLE'S KATASTROPHIC KOUGHUPS. Your heart goes out to Kyle Williams. Those were some crucial fumbles (The first punt return gaffe was inexcusable; get out of the way!), but much like Roger Craig and Adam Walker in the Ghosts of Niners Playoff Past, you can't pin the loss solely on him. Both the offense and defense had several chances to put the game away and didn't come through, either. But unless he has a monster 2012, he will certainly be remembered for all the wrong reasons now.

5) GOLDEN LINING. Overall it was an amazing year that exceeded anything I would have hoped for out of the 49ers. To have the team just one field goal away from the Super Bowl, Harbaugh accomplished what I thought wouldn't be possible until Year Two or Three of his reign. The prickly pear deserves all the credit in the world for making the people of San Francisco proud of their professional football franchise again.

The staff, most of which consisted of his guys at Stanford like defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and his counterpart on offense, Greg Roman, meshed seamlessly with other assistants such as mainstay defensive line coach Jim Tomsula and well-respected special teams guru Brad Seely, who will undoubtedly be a head coaching candidate elsewhere this season. Hopefully for selfish reasons, the Niners can keep Seely on at least for one more year.

Baalke has also done a surprisingly commendable job in the draft. Frank Gore showed no signs of slowing down, and it was partially due to a lessened load alleviated by mid-round find Kendall Hunter, while all-world Patrick Willis finally found a partner in crime in tackling machine Navorro Bowman. Although free agent acquisition Braylon Edwards didn't quite pan out in the receiving corps, emerging team leader Donte Whitner turned out to be the pickup of the season. Still, Baalke will surely be on the clock this offseason to show he's worthy of his Executive of the Year title with the bar set so high for 2012.

But nobody has it better than the 49er Faithful after undeservedly spending nine years in the toilet. What made this franchise great under Eddie DeBartolo wasn't the expectation that the team would be a Super Bowl contender, but the legitimate feeling that it belonged because of the synergy and quality of the personnel and coaching on the field.

And they're here to stay.