Despite the fact that they started the season 3-5, the San Francisco 49ers rebounded to win seven of their final nine games and secure a spot in the postseason. The 49ers have lost just one contest over their past five, and their overtime comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 was impressive enough to get many thinking they could upset the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday. After all, the 49ers have reached the NFC Championship in each of their past four playoff appearances.
This week, former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis spoke with CBS Sports about the 49ers' turnaround, what's going right for them and what it's like to play in a do-or-die playoff game.
"I think what John Lynch and those guys have been able to do over there is unprecedented," said Davis about San Francisco's recent run. "I think just the way they turnt up everything around, the guys that they drafted, they were really strategic. They are doing the necessary things that it takes to win games, and you can never really count them out just because they started off a little rough. It's never really about how you start, it's about how you finish. And they've shown that. They've shown that they can start a certain way and end up in a totally different space."
The 49ers did just that last week against the Rams, as they scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game, and then in overtime kicked a field goal and picked off Matthew Stafford to seal the victory. They trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half.
"That was pretty wild," said Davis. "I thought they stayed in it, I thought the synergy was there. You can tell that they're doing something in that locker room to make sure that the guys are locked in together. It's really beautiful to see that. I feel like a lot of teams in the league are missing that, and I think that's something the 49ers have, they have the camaraderie. They're really playing good football and they're playing together."
The Cowboys provide a different challenge, however. While they are making their first postseason appearance in three years, Dallas finished the regular season with the NFL's No. 1 total and scoring offense. The last time the Cowboys did that, they won the Super Bowl. Davis says that the 49ers have to record a performance just like last week's, where the offense is effective both on the ground and through the air, and the defense steps up at pivotal moments.
"I think all they have to do is just do what they did last week," said Davis, "which is to make plays, make big-time plays offensively, defensively and of course special teams. They have to step up, and I think it will work out for them."
The two-time Pro Bowler and 2009 NFL receiving touchdowns leader played in a few playoff games during his 14 seasons in the league. In fact, Davis caught five passes for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the 2012 NFC Championship, and then recorded six catches for 104 yards in a losing effort against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. Davis finally got his Super Bowl ring in 2016, as his Denver Broncos took down the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
"You know, when you're in those playoff games, it's just the energy and the ambiance, everything about it just comes alive," said Davis. "And you really feel like you only get one shot -- and you do -- but you can feel it. It's do-or-die. You don't win, you go home."
Davis has been out of football for two seasons now, but he's been busy with his new career in film. He's founded two production companies in Reel 85 and Between the Lines Productions, and acted in several films as well. He recently wrapped up filming a serial killer thriller alongside Morgan Freeman and Cole Houser named "Muti."
"It was incredible working with Morgan Freeman," said Davis. "I mean, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you don't get that, especially a guy like me just coming off of a retirement and going in a totally different direction as far as my career, and all of a sudden I get a chance to play a serial killer in a film with Morgan Freeman. I mean, it just doesn't happen. But I knew one thing for sure and two things for certain, I knew that I had to really make sure that my A-game was there because it's Morgan Freeman. He's going to stop everything, he's going to make sure that it's right before the scene continues. That's just how he is, he's also a coach. He's very helpful on set just with the little nuances that you need to have when it comes to a particular scene. So I'm really grateful to be able to witness that, work with him, take that energy and learn from him as well."
Davis also recently produced his first film, a supernatural horror thriller called "A Message from Brianna." It debuted in November at the American Black Film Festival.
"Everyone loved it," said Davis. "They said they thought the film was great. They critiqued the production value of the film, which was expected. But overall, they said the actors in the film did a wonderful job and everyone really seemed like they were into the film, they understood it, understood the journey, and they're looking forward to seeing it once it's distributed."
