Never bland, generic, cookie-cutter A.I.  Game highlights are for those football fans who may be younger and know little, those older who may have forgotten or to just provide pertinent information that highlights the significance of this game, event or participant.

This 2012 late-season mash-up between two perennial NFL powers didn't disappoint.  There aren't too many teams who can walk away from Foxboro and Gillette Stadium with a win but that's exactly what happened as the 9-3-1 San Francisco 49ers met the 10-3 New England Patriots.  In a game full of career first, lasts and highlights, the 49ers left with the better record after their 41-34 win.

There was a lot going on in terms of career significance.  For the visiting 49ers:

- wr Randy Moss caught his 156th of 156 NFL touchdown receptions, the final one of his [HoF] career, less than four minutes into the game, snagging a 28 yard Colin Kaepernick pass.  This against the team for whom he spent 3-1/4 of the previous four years.

- qb Kaepernick, for his part, passed his way to a career-high four touchdowns, the only time he had that many in 69 appearances at quarterback, 58 of which were starts.  The pass to Moss was followed by a 34 yard toss to Delanie Walker and two to wr Michael Crabtree covering 27 and then 38 yds.  For the day, the iconoclastic Kaepernick's line read 14-25-221-4-1-1.  He also scrambled/ran for 28 more yards.

- rb Frank Gore had his usual productive day, rushing for 83 yds. and adding 34 more via pass reception.  His touchdown was a result of him picking up a fumble and scoring.  Crabtree ended the day with seven catches for 107 yards, Moss 2 for 36 and Walker 2 for 34.  Each had the one Td.

For the hometown Patriots:

- te Aaron Hernandez also caught his last of 18 NFL touchdowns.  A member of the 2008 National Champion Florida Gators, Mackey and Newsome Award winner and 1st Team All-American, Hernandez would scuttle his career, his freedom and eventually his life after conviction for an off-season murder.  After incarceration, he was again indicted for double-murder but was acquitted in a 2017 trial.  Five days after acquittal he was found dead in his cell, ruled a suicide.

-qb Tom Brady [HoF] was very busy trying to play catch-up.  His passing line...36-65-443-1-2-3sk as he suffered his 39th of 82 career losses versus 251 wins.  His Td pass to Hernandez was #330 of 649.  The 65 attempts were a career high, and yardage his 4th highest.  He appeared in 335 games, all but two as the starter.

- wr Brandon Lloyd had his career-best 190 yds on 10 receptions.

- rb Danny Woodhead rushed 12 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers would win two playoff games vs. the Packers and Falcons to win the right to face the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII where the Ravens would win a close-fought 34-31 game.  New England won a division playoff vs. the Houston Texans before faltering in the AFC Championship against the same Raven team, 34-31 to end their season.  Bill Belichick was in his 18th of 29 seasons as head coach, all but five of them in Foxboro with the Patriots.

A mint-condition, full ticket with many interesting story lines and is priced accordingly.

**A note about shipping:  Item comes well-protected by top-loader with inner-sleeve for easy removal.  Item is sealed in a hard photo-envelope that is sized accordingly with enclosed eBay shipping order, insured and tracked.**

      ++ Please check out my other listed stubs & full tickets, many PSA-graded, by selecting "Seller's Other Items" above. ++