Ailene Voisin

Jimmer Fredette is a rookie, and he will be a rookie next week and the week after that. So for those wondering why the former BYU standout has spent the past two games on the bench – and hello to all you impassioned tweeters from Utah – that's the short answer.

Nolan Smith remembers very little of this, of course. He was only 8 years old when his father, former Kings guard Derek Smith, went into cardiac arrest and died aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic.

Falling in love with a job candidate's résumé is a little like Internet dating. The guy doesn't always look so good when you finally meet in person.

Jim Harbaugh's emotional and intellectual grip on his 49ers became increasingly evident by the week, and with each improbable, impressive victory.

The 49ers weren't expected to be here in the first place – in this wet and wild NFC Championship Game – and neither was Kyle Williams.

SANTA CLARA - David Akers serves a mean Caesar salad. That's what his former boss says. And she doesn't remember him spilling food, showing up late or cussing out a customer, either.

Carlos Rogers never quite understood the bum rap about his hands. Or maybe he simply remains in denial, which can be as important to a cornerback as amnesia is to a kicker.

It's just too hard to defend Geoff Petrie these days. It just is. These are his Kings. This is his team. And there they sit, in the throes of another identity crisis, squeezing toward the cellar with the rest of the Western Conference crumbs.

He was always cerebral. We knew that. He was always polite. We knew that. He was always trying to prove he was more than a first-round bust or, most recently, so much more than a seat warmer while rookie Colin Kaepernick developed.

Vernon Davis wants to be noticed. He soooo wants to be noticed. After five seasons without a postseason appearance, the 49ers tight end can't wait to flex those massive biceps, account for a few memorable receptions, and maybe even block a few of the New Orleans Saints into the heavens.

Focused and loose at the same time. That's a good one. Even when Jim Harbaugh tosses out one- liners or erupts into brief, halting laughter, his features tighten up faster than the spirals he used to throw.