The 49ers snapped their four-game losing streak thanks to Jay Cutler’s five interceptions. And the 49ers needed every one of them. Michael Lewis’ game-clinching pick came in the end zone on the final play of the game.
As the press corps was waiting in the tunnel outside the 49ers’ locker room, George Devine Jr. of Fox Sports Radio was speaking with another reporter. He observed that Cutler had five interceptions and could’ve had two more because he “lollipopped” a couple of other passes.
Well, as luck would have it, Cutler was squeezing past Devine on his way to a post-game interview. Cutler heard the remark and suggested Devine do something that – to my knowledge – is anatomically impossible.
Here are a few quotes that are fit for print . . .
Mike Singletary
“Turnovers on offense we want to eliminate. Turnovers on defense we want to encourage. I think we just have to continue. It’s a work in progress. When I look at the offensive side of the ball, we did not come out and do all the things I thought we could or hoped that we could.
“I think the one thing we did do well, toward the end of the game, I think our offense put a drive together and came up short at the end of it. But (we) put a drive together and took a lot of time off the clock, gave our defense a chance to game-plan a little better and make some adjustments on the sideline before getting back in the game.”
When asked if this victory was a relief, Singletary answered: “I’d hate to use the word ‘relief,’ but trying to think of another one is kind of hard right now. So, I will say, ‘yes.'”
On his pregame trash-talking with Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye: “I was just trying to get my team fired up. I told him that he better be ready, that we’re coming hard and we’re coming to win.” (
On the Bears’ defensive effort: “They did a good job. They played some pretty good defense.”
Alex Smith
“Of course, you want to be able to do more on offense. The defense definitely won this game for us. We’d like to do more in the red zone. If we had put one of those into the end zone, it doesn’t have to come down to the end of the game.”
“I’d like to not have it that close at the finish. I’m happy for the team. Obviously, the defense played lights out. They really played tough down there when the game was on the line. It was great to see.”
“It’s a step in the right direction. I think the important thing about tonight is getting us back on the right track. Losing four in a row, it kind of kills momentum. To reverse that and get us going back where we need to go is a big deal.”
Dashon Goldson
“We came out there and showed what the defense is made of. In the beginning of the year in training camp, we stressed turnovers. Every day we practice turnover drills. Today was a great opportunity for us, coming out at home after four losses in a row. We know what we can do, and we showed it.”
Aubrayo Franklin
On his interception at the goal line and 10-yard return: “I was pretty tired out there. It had been a long drive. I tried to run with it, but I didn’t have the legs left to go anywhere.”
Tarell Brown
“It was two physical teams. We take our hats off to the Bears. They came out and fought. We both were in a short week, by playing this Thursday and we both came out and fought hard. It was definitely a must-win for us and we got it.”
Frank Gore
“It was physical. It was real physical. They came to play, but we kept fighting. When we needed to make plays, we made plays.”
Mark Roman
On Cutler: “You take your hat off to a guy like that because he truly believes in himself and as a football player, that’s what you have to have. I wouldn’t sell him short on that. But it was just trying to make plays at a time when you have to make plays. Our coaches put us in a great position to make plays, and we made the plays. The calls were coming in, everybody was communicating well.
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And from the Bears’ side . . .
Adewale Ogunleye
On whether
Jay Cutler
“I have to apologize to the defense, and the offense as a whole has to apologize. They (the Bears’ defense) played a great game. They kept us in there throughout all the turnovers.”
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