A few odds and ends as the second half of the season begins …
• After the Niners fell to 1-6 — and three-and-half games
out of first place — with a loss to the previously winless Panthers on Oct. 24,
Mike Singletary offered the quote that launched a thousand sighs, “We’re going
to make a season of it,” he said. “And I still believe we can go to the
playoffs.”
I confess to rolling my eyes at Singletary’s stubborn refusal
to recognize reality. But this rookie beat writer has learned his lesson: Never
discount the collective ineptitude of the NFC West.
One win and a bye week later, the 49ers are squarely in
the hunt for a division title, trailing co-leaders St. Louis and Seattle by two
games with eight to play.
While San Francisco rested Sunday, its competition crumbled.
Again.
The Cardinals (3-5) dropped their third straight game,
losing a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 27-24 overtime loss at Minnesota. The
injury riddled Seahawks (4-4) dropped their second straight game, getting
nipped, 41-7, at home by the Giants.
Seattle has allowed 1,036 total yards while getting
outscored 74-10 the past two weeks. The Seahawks have managed two third-down
conversions (24 attempts) and have nearly had as many penalties (16) as first
downs (18) during their two-game slide.
Ladies and gentleman, your division co-leader.
For their part, the Cardinals have allowed 958 total
yards the past two weeks.
As for the Rams, they had a bye Sunday in preparation for
their upcoming meeting against the Niners at Candlestick.
St. Louis is 4-4. San Francisco is 2-6.
Add it up and, in the NFC West, it equals a potentially
division-deciding showdown.
• The 49ers will go back to work today, but an official
announcement on their starting quarterback for Sunday’s game may not arrive
until mid-week. Singletary will not meet with the media today, and with the
team off Tuesday, he won’t have his first press conference until Wednesday. He
will talk to Murph and Mac on KNBR on Tuesday morning.
By the way, Troy Smith, the likely starter on Sunday,
spent an extra day in Santa Clara last week before heading home to Ohio to see
family.
• This is faint praise to offer a group of well
compensated professional athletes, but the 49ers have never quit this season. I
was struck by this after watching the second half of the Packers’ 45-7
dismantling of the Cowboys on Sunday night.
Dallas, now 1-7, was lifeless. It’s not fair to say an
entire team quit, but it was clear some of the Cowboys packed it in early.
Cornerback Mike Jenkins had a chance to deliver a potentially fumble-causing
tackle on Packers receiver James Jones at the goal line, but, after some consideration,
he decided that wasn’t such a hot idea. Click here for irrefutable visual
evidence.
Singletary may have his shortcomings, but his players have
never come close to giving him the type of effort the Cowboys offered Wade
Phillips last night.
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