What If: The 49ers Fail to Score at the End of the 2011 Divisional Round

This is the “what if” that haunts every Saints fan who understands football history. If Malcolm Jenkins makes that tackle on Vernon Davis with 35 seconds left, we’re not just talking about one more playoff win. We’re talking about a completely different legacy for Drew Brees and the Saints organization. That 2011 Saints team was absolutely unstoppable on offense. Brees threw for over 5,400 yards with a 71% completion percentage, Jimmy Graham was in his prime, and we had the best offensive line in football. We scored over 40 points in our last five games of the season, including playoffs. This wasn’t just a good team, this was a historic offensive juggernaut. Here’s what kills me about this scenario. If we beat the 49ers, we’re hosting the Giants in the NFC Championship game. The same Giants team we absolutely demolished 49-24 earlier that season in the Dome. Eli Manning and that offense couldn’t keep up with us at home, and there’s no reason to think the second time would be different. That means we’re getting Drew Brees versus Tom Brady in Super Bowl 46, which should have been one of the greatest quarterback duels in NFL history. The Patriots had the second-best offense that year, but we had the best. Their defense wasn’t significantly better than the Giants defense that couldn’t stop us all season long. Instead of watching Eli Manning beat Brady again, we could have been watching Brees finally get his second ring and cement his legacy as one of the absolute greatest quarterbacks ever. One missed tackle changed everything. #NFL #NFLWhatIf