49ers' Kyle Williams let two get away

SAN FRANCISCO -- Kyle Williams put his hands on his helmet and dropped his head in disgust. A second big mistake by its backup punt returner did in San Francisco at the worst possible time.

Williams fumbled in overtime to set up Lawrence Tynes' 31-yard field goal that gave the Giants the 20-17 win in the NFC Championship Game last night.

Williams, returning kicks in place of the injured Ted Ginn Jr., muffed one punt early in the fourth quarter to set up a go-ahead touchdown for the Giants, then was stripped by Jacquian Williams in overtime to give the Giants the ball at the 24.

"You hate to be the last guy that had the ball, to give it away in that fashion and to lose a game of this magnitude," Williams said. "It is what it is. We're going to move forward as a team. Everyone has come to pat me on the back and the shoulder to say it's not me."

After three runs and a kneeldown, Tynes kicked the game-winner, and Williams slowly made a dejected walk back to the locker room.

Williams, the son of Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams, did not look smooth fielding punts after doing it just twice in the regular season.

"It will be a tough one," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "It will take a while to get over." -- AP

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