Jim Harbaugh: I thought entire team 'competed like maniacs'

Colin Kaepernick kicked off his NFL playoff career with flying colors Saturday and — after the 49ers quarterback shredded the Packers defense for 181 yards on the ground and 263 through the air — head coach Jim Harbaugh finally had good reason to stop his hand-wringing about replacing Alex Smith with his record-setting QB.

If Harbaugh was breathing easy about making the right choice with his precocious new quarterback and the 45-31 victory, he wasn't gloating about it after the game.

As the 49ers prepare to face the winner of the Seahawks-Falcons game in the NFC Championship Game next Sunday, a solemn Harbaugh gave credit to the entire Niners squad and said it was a "great team victory" and that they "competed like maniacs," at his postgame presser.

Harbaugh is in the NFC title game for the second straight year, and it gives him a chance to meet his big brother, Ravens coach John Harbaugh, in the Super Bowl if everything falls in place.

Asked at what point he found out his brother had won his game against the Broncos, the 49ers coach tried to brush off the hypothetical question but said, "Somewhere in the first quarter, I believe...

"We want to study for the (NFC Championship Game) test," he added.