The San Francisco 49ers clinched the NFC West and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with their thrilling 26-21 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.
But by doing so, they accomplished much more than that.
The 49ers managed to overcome their previous failures. They were able to free themselves of a seven-year curse that had tortured the franchise for far too long. As many are putting it, they exorcised their demons.
And they did so by just a couple of inches.
Truth be told, rookie fifth-round pick Dre Greenlaw — the hero of Sunday night’s game — will never be able to comprehend just what this victory means for the 49ers organization.