NFL History: Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history

Ranking the 30 best wild card teams in NFL history: 17. ’13 San Francisco 49ers

The 2013 San Francisco 49ers were one of the favorites to win it all coming into the season. San Fran was coming off a Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and the NFC West was absolutely stacked. Three teams finished with double-digit wins, and the 49ers were forced into the Wild Card round despite winning 12 games.

The adversity was not a problem for this 49ers team. Jim Harbaugh seemed to thrive off this type of situation. Collin Kaepernick is someone who would later show what he could do in the face of adversity. During the season, the 49ers lost one game in the division. They split with the Seattle Seahawks who ended up winning the division at 13-3. That will come up later.

In the playoffs, the first game sent the Niners to Lambeau Field. It was one of the coldest games on record, but Kaepernick kept himself warn by running all over the field. He led everyone with 98 rushing yards and added 227 passing yards. He led the 49ers on a game-winning drive on the road to set up Phil Dawson for a field goal as time expired.

The next week, they faced a Carolina Panthers team who was putting together a special offensive unit. Something just didn’t click on this day for them, however, and the 49ers held them to ten points. This one was much easier than the Wild Card Round. This set up another matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers defense continued its dominant ways in the first half of the NFC Championship, holding the Seahawks to just three points. Things were looking good for a repeat Super Bowl berth. Kaepernick watched as the Seahawks scored 20 second-half points. He tried to bring them back into the game, but he turned the ball over three times on the team’s last three possessions. This includes a deflection by Richard Sherman in the endzone to win the game.