THE CATCH II; OWENS' MAGICAL TOUCHDOWN GIVES 49ERS WIN FOR THE AGES : SAN FRAN. 30, GREEN BAY 27.

Byline: Don Pierson Chicago Tribune 

Two teetering pro football heavyweights, clinging simultaneously to hope and the ropes of time, gave the NFL a game of a lifetime Sunday.

The desperate San Francisco 49ers, down again to Brett Favre and his resilient Green Bay Packers, staggered off the mat with help from another apparently blown officiating call to stun the Packers 30-27 on the final play from scrimmage in the NFC wild-card playoff and quite possibly the final play of the Mike Holmgren era in Green Bay.

Steve Young's 25-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens with three seconds to play erased Favre's 15-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman with 1:56 left, the sixth lead change in a three-hour drama never separated by more than one play.

``It was what you live for,'' Favre said.

For the 49ers, it was to die for. Facing their sixth straight loss to Holmgren and Favre, the 49ers drove 76 yards with demanding fans sounding more threatening than encouraging.

They had watched Owens drop as many as four passes and lose a fumble. They had not seen Jerry Rice catch his first pass. They were expecting Holmgren to soon replace young coach Steve Mariucci, whose only loss in two years at home was to the Packers in last year's NFC title game, a sterling record not good enough around here.

``It is one of the biggest catches in this organization's history,'' Mariucci said. The vision of Dwight Clark's last-second grab in San Francisco's victory over Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game most certainly danced in his head.

``I had a rough day up to that point,'' Owens said. ``I did not want to get into a big game and choke up. I'm glad I got the chance to redeem myself.''

Owens said he had an option to go outside or inside and safety LeRoy Butler forced him inside, funneling him to Darren Sharper and Pat Terrell, who were playing too deep in the end zone. Young's pass was perfect.

``We have always been behind in the end trying to play catch-up,'' Young said. ``All we have asked for is a chance to win at the end.''

Young said he stumbled pulling away from center and may have ``disappeared for a second, which I think made the defense unsure. Actually, there was a bigger hole down the middle than I expected.''

The play left a void in a Packers season that never reached expectations and put the 49ers in the NFC divisional playoff Saturday against the Falcons in Atlanta.

It was Young's seventh completion in nine throws on the drive as the Packers tried to keep everything in front of them.

``We felt if we could get them in the fourth quarter, they'd crack,'' Butler said. ``They pretty much did. They were giving us the game and we just wouldn't take it. But you would think with eight seconds left, we could get off the field.''

With 32 seconds left, the Packers thought they were off the field. That's when Young's first completion to Rice was apparently fumbled, according to television replay. But officials gave him a 6-yard gain and new life, adding to a season marred by controversial calls.

``If it was a fumble, I hate to think we lost the game on that,'' Favre said. ``It was one of those great ballgames where we just ran out of time.''

On the game-winning drive, Young threw a sideline route to Stokes that was nearly intercepted by Craig Newsome. Then came the throw to Owens, Young's first shot at the end zone on the drive.

``That play was more of a desperation throw, with everybody trying to go deep and create single coverage,'' Rice said. ``This game is going to go down in history, and I'm glad to be part of it.''

NFC WILD CARD: SAN FRANCISCO vs. GREEN BAY

THE HERO

San Francisco wide receiver Terrell Owens hoped for a moment of redemption. He had four drops and a fumble earlier in the game, making him more than eligible for ``The Goat'' status. Instead, he leaped in a crowd to catch Steve Young's 25-yard touchdown pass with three seconds remaining, absorbing two punishing hits before hitting the ground safely to give the 49ers the improbable victory. Most onlookers recalled San Francisco's Dwight Clark's fabled catch to beat Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game. Owens, crying openly after the play, had three receptions for 73 yards.

THE GOAT

It's only fitting that in the year of the official, line judge Jeff Bergman and field judge Kevin Mack cost Green Bay a playoff win. Millions of fans across the country got to see Jerry Rice in slow motion as he fumbled on San Francisco's game-winning touchdown drive, after Bernardo Harris and Scott McGarrahan stripped the ball as he was tackled at the 41-yard line with 40 seconds left. Harris pounced on the ball and the Packers' sideline rejoiced, but Bergman and Mack ruled Rice was down. Four plays later, Green Bay was down, too.

STAT OF THE GAME

Green Bay's Reggie White, the NFL's all-time sacks leader who said he has played his last game, was held to a mere two tackles Sunday, both coming in the fourth quarter. Thanks to San Francisco right tackle Kirk Scrafford, White got very little pressure on Steve Young.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

``Anybody who watched that game has to think it's the greatest game they've ever seen. The great players make big plays in big games. They made some and we made some.''

- Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, who thought he had engineered the game-winning touchdown drive when he connected with Antonio Freeman on a 15-yard TD with 1:56 left in the game to give the Packers a 27-23 lead.

NOTABLE

San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci has gone 18-1 at home, including the playoffs, over the past two years. His only loss was to Green Bay in last January's NFC title game. . . . It was the Packers' first opening playoff loss in six games under coach Mike Holmgren.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Cover--Color) EUREKA!

49ers strike gold in thriller over Packers. Jags eliminate Pats. Pages 9-10

Susan Ragan/Associated Press

(2--Color) Terrell Owens after the game-winning touchdown.

Bob Galbraith/Associated Press

(3--Color) Green Bay's Dorsey Levens (25) and San Francisco's Marquez Pope (23), above, typified the topsy-turvy, wild nature of the 49ers' last-second victory.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

BOX: NFC WILD CARD: SAN FRANCISCO vs. GREEN BAY (see text)