Peyton Manning Makes the 49ers Super Bowl Favorites

Two fumbles. That's all that stood between the San Francisco 49ers and a trip to the Superbowl as their season came to a grinding halt in the NFC Championship game. 

Fueled by first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers went from preseason dud to Super Bowl contender in a matter of three months, finishing with a 13-3 record and nearly earning themselves a shot at the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

And all of that was with Alex Smith. Before uniting with Harbaugh just five weeks before opening week, Smith had earned the ignominious distinction of first-round bust. But the fo...

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