Moments later, the 49ers called “Three Jet Go” and Owens found the soft spot in Green Bay’s coverage. It's something that has to be addressed.” But when you make a play in a championship game and it's not awarded to you, there's something wrong with the whole system. “It's tough to lose no matter how you do it. “That was clearly a fumble,'' Packers general manager Ron Wolf told reporters afterwards. But because instant replay didn’t begin until the following season, the 49ers kept the ball. Officials ruled Rice down, though, and the drive continued. On the 49ers’ ensuing drive, Packers rookie safety Scott McGarrahan stripped wideout Jerry Rice of the ball and Harris recovered. The go-ahead touchdown came when the 49ers rushed eight, Favre audibled and hit Antonio Freeman for a 15-yard TD with 1:56 remaining. Quarterback Brett Favre, who was sensational in throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns, engineered an 89-yard scoring drive late in the game. The Packers had made all the right plays to take the lead late in the game. It was the perfect throw and he (Owens) made the play.” “When the ball goes down the middle like that, you don't think the ball's going to be caught, ever. “The way this one ended was startling,’ ” Holmgren said. But when Owens held on, Green Bay’s five-game winning streak over the 49ers had ended. Owens took a lick when Sharper and Terrell drilled him one yard deep in the endzone. Linebacker Bernardo Harris also didn’t drop deep enough and safety Pat Terrell was late arriving. Safety Darren Sharper was the primary culprit for the gaffe after dropping too deep in his portion of the zone. On the fateful play, the Packers rushed just three and played zone with eight. “I started the game with a fumble and a couple of dropped passes. “I knew I was going to have to make a big play,” Owens said afterwards. It was also a surreal conclusion for the Packers, who appeared poised to knock the 49ers out of the postseason for a fourth straight year. It was a remarkable ending for Owens, who dropped four passes and had a fumble that day.
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