The Two Most Emotional Moments Of The San Francisco 49ers’ Super Bowl-Qualifying Win

Lots and lots of sports-feelings.

Today, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 today to book a trip to Super Bowl XLVII. Atlanta went up 17-0 early, but San Francisco won the rest of the game 28-7, making the loss even more bitter for the home-town Falcons. (The 17-point comeback was also the biggest in the history of the NFC Championship.)

It was a close, emotional game, and the best way to demonstrate this is to present these two moments, in GIF form.

2. First: here’s the moment when Atlanta lost the game. A Matt Ryan pass intended for Roddy White is knocked down inside the red zone, and the Falcons turn it over on downs.

3. This is Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s reaction to the play.

4. Second: Harry Douglas made this catch late in the game, and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh decided to challenge it. It looks like the ball moved a bit when it hit the ground; the question becomes whether Douglas maintained possession or not.

5. The refs decided that he did, and Harbaugh was NOT happy. Not at all.

6. This could be a great new dance.

7. Of course, nothing makes you feel better like earning a ticket to your first Super Bowl.

Image by Gary Hershorn / Reuters