What’s made this 49ers season, this delightful journey, even more fulfilling is no one saw this coming. In a way, it’s similar to 1981, the year that changed the way the Bay Area, really the entire country, judged the franchise.

There were no expectations back then, other than the fact that somehow the Niners wouldn’t win. But as we know, they did win, and San Francisco, beside itself with joy, celebrated as it never did again. The first time never can be repeated.

We were skeptics back in ’81, even to the very moment Jim Stuckey recovered Danny White’s fumble, seconds after Dwight Clark made “The Catch” to give the Niners the 28-27 lead over Dallas and elevate them to their first Super Bowl.

An hour later, Bill Walsh, “The Genius,” the man who said he never read the papers, caught me in a quiet corner of the locker room and in true Walshian fashion, ordered, “You can stop writing we never win the big one.”

Which we did. After that, they won a spate of big ones. But until this season of 2011, for eight years, they couldn’t win many little ones. Enter Jim Harbaugh, the ghost of Walsh.  

No, the Niners aren’t as good as the Green Bay Packers (although 30 years ago they weren’t supposed to be as good as the Cowboys). Still, if San Francisco wins Sunday, it finishes with a 13-3 regular-season record, as did the ’81 Niners.

Walsh often used the word “resourceful,” finding a way to achieve. These Harbaugh Niners, like those of Walsh — and those of Walsh’s successor, George Seifert — have been very resourceful.

A blocked punt by Seattle turns into a touchdown? No sweat, the Niners find a way.

Harbaugh won at Stanford, as Walsh won at Stanford. You sensed a connection, although when the Niners were 2-1 and I suggested — no, insisted — Harbaugh had more than a small degree of Walsh in his thought, manner and motives, an emailer was adamant.

“Jim Harbaugh has a long way to go,” sneered the author on Sept. 16. “A long way. He hasn’t proved anything. The comparisons to Bill Walsh are absurd and wishful thinking. This is no comparison. So they both coached at Stanford? So what? College football is not the NFL … If they have a 3-3 record by the bye, it will be a miracle.”

To borrow from my pal Al Michaels, do you believe in miracles? Or in a coach who emphasizes defense — those people drafting for the Niners the last few years certainly deserve credit — and understands how to use Alex Smith.

Couldn’t win the big one? Great coaches make believers of their players, as well as of fans and media. The way the Niners overwhelmed the Steelers a week and a half ago, the way they rallied to defeat the Seahawks on Saturday, are reflections of a confident football team.

“Probably the biggest factor is they didn’t flinch,” Harbaugh said of the comeback at Seattle. “It was a matter of getting out there and making the necessary plays to win.”

They’ve made the plays, and they’ve made us remember the way it was back in ’81.

Art Spander has been covering Bay Area sports since 1965 and also writes on www.artspander.com and www.realclearsports.com. Email him at typoes@aol.com.

Elaine Thompson

David Akers, right, kicks a 39-yard field goal, his fourth of the day, sending the San Francisco 49ers to a 19-17 win over the Seahawks.

By TIM BOOTHAssociated Press writer

Sunday, December 25, 2011

SEATTLE — David Akers kicked his way into the NFL record book and sent the San Francisco 49ers to just the type of win they wanted as they start looking toward the playoffs.

Akers made four field goals to give him 42 this season, most in league history, and San Francisco eliminated Seattle from postseason contention by holding off the Seahawks 19-17 on Saturday.

The NFC West champions remained in position for the No. 2 playoff seed and a first-round bye thanks to Akers and an impressive second-half effort on defense.

“I thought it was, like I said, a real good preview for what the playoffs are going to be like,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Overcoming adversity. Nobody flinched. We had some real difficult situations, you know, some real pressure-to-perform situations, and our guys performed.”

Akers took his place in NFL annals, but it was Larry Grant, Alex Smith and Michael Crabtree who made the big plays that improved San Francisco to 12-3 in Harbaugh’s first season in charge.

With the Seahawks fighting to stay alive in the playoff race, San Francisco had to rally multiple times. The 49ers overcame a 17-16 deficit after Marshawn Lynch scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with 6:41 left and was showered with candy.

The 49ers were in such a good mood that San Francisco coaches ran through the press box in the closing seconds shouting “Merry Christmas everybody,” as Smith took a knee to drain the final seconds.

Akers’ 39-yard field goal with 2:57 left proved to be the game-winner — but it was Grant who was the game-clincher. As the Seahawks (7-8) tried to drive for the winning score, Grant’s tackle of quarterback Tarvaris Jackson from behind jarred the ball loose and it was recovered by Donte Whitner at the San Francisco 36 with 1:07 remaining.

Filling in for injured Patrick Willis, the standout linebacker who missed his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury, Grant missed Jackson on his initial blitz, only to come from behind and strip the ball for the only turnover of the game.

If Grant had not forced the fumble, Jackson likely would have gained enough to convert the third down and keep the Seahawks’ drive going.

“He doesn’t tuck it at all, he keeps it loose and keeps his eyes downfield,” Grant said. “Knowing he does that, when you’re coming from behind the first thought is you’ve got to rake for the ball.”

San Francisco limited the Seahawks to 72 total yards in the second half and Seattle’s only points came following a blocked punt.

The 49ers could head into next week’s regular-season finale at St. Louis with the No. 2 seed locked up if Atlanta wins at New Orleans on Monday night. They still have a shot at the No. 1 seed, but would need Green Bay to lose its final two games.

Regardless, all San Francisco needs is a win over the lowly Rams to clinch a home playoff game and a weekend of rest that could be critical. The 49ers played without Willis and wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., then saw tight end Delanie Walker and receiver Kyle Williams go down with injuries. Neither returned.

Early in the fourth quarter, Akers connected from 44 yards out for his 41st field goal of the season, breaking the NFL mark set by Neil Rackers in 2005 with Arizona. Akers also hit from 53 and 29 yards. He missed a 52-yard attempt in the first quarter and is 42 of 49 this season.

“All our players and coaches, everybody is really happy for David’s success,” Harbaugh said. “Another great effort by him today.”

Smith protected the ball, as he has all season, and his biggest throw set up Akers’ decisive kick. On second-and-18 from his own 31 with 5:51 left, Smith threw deep for Crabtree, who got just enough separation from Brandon Browner to haul in the 41-yard reception. The 49ers did not advance any further, but were in range for Akers to give them the lead.

Smith finished 14 of 26 for 179 yards, while Crabtree had five catches for 85 yards. The bigger contributions came from Frank Gore and his backup, Kendall Hunter. Gore scored on a 4-yard run on the first drive of the second half and finished with 83 yards rushing, while Hunter added 73 on just 12 carries.

If there was a disappointment for San Francisco, it was seeing its streak of not allowing a touchdown rushing or a 100-yard rusher end. Lynch finished with 107 yards on 21 carries, the first back to top 100 yards against the 49ers since Green Bay’s Ryan Grant in Week 11 of the 2009 season. Lynch’s run in the fourth quarter was the first allowed by San Francisco all season.

“If Marshawn Lynch isn’t in the Pro Bowl, there is something wrong with the voting system,” said Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who caught a 13-yard scoring pass in the first quarter.

SEATTLE — Larry Grant never stopped pursuing and came up with the defensive play of the day when San Francisco needed it.

Grant tackled Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson from behind, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Donte Whitner with 1:07 remaining, and the 49ers held on for a 19-17 win over the Seahawks on Saturday.

David Akers kicked four field goals for the 49ers, setting an NFL record with his 42nd of the season. He connected from 39 yards with 2:57 left to give San Francisco the lead.

The NFC West champions remained in position for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye thanks to an impressive second-half effort on defense that was capped by Grant’s hustle play.

The loss eliminated Seattle (7-8) from playoff contention.

Frank Gore had a 4-yard touchdown run on San Francisco’s first drive of the second half.

Marshawn Lynch scored on a 4-yard run with 6:41 remaining to give Seattle a 17-16 lead. It was his 11th straight game with a score and the first touchdown rushing allowed by San Francisco (12-3) this season.

Lynch finished with 107 yards on 21 carries, the first back to run for 100 yards against the 49ers since Week 11 of the 2009 season.

San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith protected the ball as he has all season and his biggest throw set up Akers’ decisive kick. On second-and-18 from his own 31, Smith threw deep for Michael Crabtree, who got just enough separation from Brandon Browner to haul in the

41-yard reception. The 49ers didn’t advance any further, but were in range for Akers to give them the lead.

Smith finished 14 of 26 for 179 yards, while Crabtree had five catches for 85 yards. The bigger contributions came from Gore and his backup, Kendall Hunter. Gore finished with 83 yards rushing, while Hunter added 73 on just 12 carries.

The 49ers had 227 yards of offense in the second half and held Seattle to 72 yards. San Francisco coaches ran through the press box in the final seconds yelling, “Merry Christmas everybody!”

The 49ers could head into next week’s regular-season finale at St. Louis with the No. 2 seed locked up if Atlanta wins at New Orleans on Monday night. They are still alive for the No. 1 seed, but would need Green Bay to lose its final two games.

But all San Francisco needs is a win over the lowly Rams to clinch a home playoff game and a weekend of rest.

The 49ers were the first team in league history to go the first 14 games without allowing a touchdown rushing.

But Smith answered with his deep pass to Crabtree, and Seattle’s final chance was thwarted by the only turnover of the game.

Lynch’s 6-yard run to start the drive pushed him over the 100-yard mark, making him the first running back to top 100 yards against the 49ers since Ryan Grant did it for Green Bay in Week 11 of 2009. That snapped a streak of 36 straight games for the 49ers without allowing a 100-yard rusher.

Lynch then took a short pass from Jackson for 20 yards to the 45 at the 2-minute warning. Lynch added a 3-yard run and another swing pass to Lynch brought up third-and-3 at the San Francisco 48 with 1:18 left. Jackson was flushed from the pocket by Grant, who continued to pursue and grabbed Jackson from behind .The fumble bounced forward 10 yards, where Whitner fell on it as the San Francisco sideline burst into celebration.

Jackson finished 15 of 28 for 163 yards and a 13-yard TD pass to rookie Doug Baldwin in the first quarter.

Another dominant performance by their defense has the San Francisco 49ers moving closer to securing a first-round bye in the
playoffs.

The 49ers will try to avoid a third straight road loss Saturday when they face the
Seattle Seahawks
, who are looking to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Having clinched the NFC West for the first time since 2002, San Francisco (11-3) is trying to finish in one of the top two
spots in the conference and earn a first-round bye.

With Green Bay likely to claim the NFC’s best record, the 49ers are trying to fend off New Orleans for the No. 2 seed. The
Saints host Atlanta on Monday.

The 49ers helped their cause with a 20-3 win over Pittsburgh on Monday. Their defense was as lights out as the stadium itself,
giving up only a third-quarter field goal. It was the fifth time this season they’ve given up fewer than 10 points.

San Francisco continues to be led by a stellar run defense. The 49ers held the Steelers to 84 yards on the ground – the 13th
time this year they’ve allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards.

Even more impressive – San Francisco has yet to give up a rushing touchdown.

Going back to 1932, the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed through an entire season is two – set by the 1934
Detroit Lions
, 1968
Dallas Cowboys
and 1971
Minnesota Vikings
. The 49ers, who are looking to reach 12 wins for the first time since 2001, have already set an NFL record through 14 games.

“It’s a big goal to stop the run. You don’t set up on your goal board at the beginning of the year to not allow a rushing
touchdown for the first 14 games of the season. You want to be good against the run, you want to stop the run,” coach Jim
Harbaugh said. “Our team has been doing that. Some 30-some games since there’s been a 100-yard rusher. That’s another benchmark
standard that I’ve read about. Again, it’s a credit to the guys that are up front.”

San Francisco’s defense could be even more formidable with the possible return of four-time Pro Bowl linebacker
Patrick Willis
, who has missed the last two games with an injured right hamstring. He’s second on the team with 93 tackles and leads with
four forced fumbles.

As well as their defense is playing, the 49ers’ streak of not allowing a rushing touchdown as well as a 36-game stretch of
not yielding a 100-yard rusher, could be challenged by Seattle’s
Marshawn Lynch
.

Lynch has rushed for 1,011 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, including five scores in the last three games. He’s the first
Seattle running back to go over 1,000 yards since Shaun Alexander in 2005.

“Marshawn is running that ball – like I told guys, he’s running like he just got out of jail or something,” 49ers cornerback

Carlos Rogers
said. “He’s running that ball hard. It’s going to be a challenge, and just going into their place is a challenge with the
way they’re playing.”

The 49ers have contained Lynch in three meetings. He has no touchdowns in those games and rushed for just 33 yards on 13 carries
in a 33-17 season-opening loss at San Francisco on Sept. 11.

Lynch and the Seahawks (7-7) have plenty of motivation this weekend with a playoff spot still a possibility. However, they
need Atlanta and Detroit to lose out and some other games to go their way.

After losing six of eight to open the season, Seattle continued its turnaround with a 38-14 win at Chicago last Sunday. Lynch
had two touchdowns despite being held to 42 yards on 20 carries. He ran for 124.7 yards per game in the previous three contests,
averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

While the Bears were focusing on Lynch,
Tarvaris Jackson
completed 19 of 31 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown. He’s gone three games without an interception after throwing 12
in the first 10 games.

With Jackson playing better and Lynch running the ball well, Seattle is looking to win four straight for the first time since
a five-game winning streak in 2007. While its defense may not be impressive as San Francisco’s, it’s making some noise recently
as well.

The Seahawks have given up 41 points in the last three games, getting four interceptions in two of those games. They’ve been
particularly effective at making halftime adjustments, allowing 17 total second-half points the last three games.

“Most of the time, what happens at halftime is you get back to the things that you intended to do and sometimes didn’t show
up at the start. Quite often, that’s the case – not always,” coach Pete Carroll said.

Seattle has won its last two home games against San Francisco, giving up 23 points.