Well, the fatted goose has been devoured. The presents unwrapped and forgotten. Crap is piled all over the house with glee. The tree droops listlessly in the corner, waiting for the inevitable trip to the wood chipper. That being said, the football season marches toward it’s conclusion with some definite surprises. The resurgence of the Jim Harbaugh led San Francisco 49ers being one of the biggest. The 49ers have one more meaningful game against the would-be-Rams. They of the high expectations and the 2-13 record. A win next year would sentd the Niners to the playoffs as the #2 seed. No mean feat after the last few majorly disappointing seasons. And a must if the Niners are to have any hope at success, as they’d at least have a home game after the wildcard weekend. Truth be told, getting the 3 seed would give them a better chance to win ONE home playoff game (vs Detroit), and then go on the road to face Norleans. Frankly, they need the rest to heal up (and get another WR for the just-released Braylon Edwards), so I’d rather take our chances at home against (most likely) NO.
Detroit and Cincinnati (maybe) would be some other new playoff teams. Detroit was hot early, faded in the middle, but came back strong to clinch. Early season surprise Buffalo (5-2 at one point, went on a 7 game losing streak to kill their hopes. Then there’s Tebow-mania, which may or may not lead to a playoff berth, based on what the Jeckyll/Hyde re-undead Al-less Raiders do. The Jets are out, barring an act of God. Major disappointment there. As would be the Giants with a loss to the Dallas Cowpies. They sure aren’t boys.
Other 2011 surprises are of the negative kind. Philly pretty much crapped themselves repeatedly and staggered around to some godawful 4th quarter losses while putting up large offensive numbers. The Giants and the Cowboys can’t get out of each other’s way to barf up the NFC East neither wants to win. Inday came is as the usual fave, but without Peyton Manning, they’ve played like a 3rd string Division 3A college team. New England and GB seem to be winning without any perceptible defense. Balt an Pittsburgh have more than enough of that. As usual, look for one of those 2 to rep the AFC.
NO looks to be the hottest team on the planet as of now. IF they are at home. The key for the Niners is to face them at the speed-crippling Stick. And they need to pray for rain, or water the shit out of the field, for the Niners to have a chance at slowing down the high-flying Saints. After that? Hey, get there, and we’ll see. If this team can beat the Saints, it can certain;y beat the Packers. Even on the road.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Go Niners. Beat the Lambs and get a bye and some rest.
Water the field? Yeah, the Maury Wills defense. Six defensive backs and a swamp from goal line to goal line. I like it.
Make them play waterpolo.
Grump, there’s no way we’d get GB here. The best case scenario is NO here, then the NFC Championship game in GB. We’ve played there the last 2 years. What’s one more trip? With a win this time.
I know – I was saying we *might* have a chance if it was at home. At Lambeau in January, we have two chances: Slim and None, and you know how that goes. We might hold them to 24 or so, but they’ll hold the ball and get first downs even when they don’t score, negating our Andy Lee advantage. Our offense has depended on field position to score this year. Start most drives at our end, we get at most 4 or 5 cracks at the red zone and one TD out of it. I could see a 24-16 game. *IF* we get by NO. No guarantees there: home or not, Brees is hot right now.
The best case is not GB there or NO here, that would be the most likely- but they both could get beat, you know. The national media is acting like there are those two are the only teams in the NFC playoffs. If we did get NO- there is a HUGE diff between their dome record and outdoors- HUGE, like two TDs a game.
4 49er Pro Bowl starters. 8 selections altogether. An additional, utterly insane TEN alternates.
But no Alex Smith.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/niners-talk/post/Eight-49ers-named-to-NFC-Pro-Bowl-team?blockID=619950&feedID=5936
I don’t think anyone expected Alex would make it.
I’ll settle for winning a Super Bowl rather than a popularity contest…
Frankly, Aldon Smith’s exclusion is more surprising to me. And the drops sure didn’t help Alex. He’s probably lost close to 600 yards from drops. More than anyone else, that’s for sure.
Yeah, yeah, on any given Sunday, but I don;t think, as it stands now, that Atl can come close to beating NO. As we just saw.
Means nothing. As we see week after week.
Oops, what I meant was that you’re right, of course.
Funny…
Aldon needs another game or two on national TV like Pittsburgh to get his name out there. Most east coast fans likely had never heard of him.
Just win, that cures a lot of things.
So, according to Mike, Atl might beat NO, or NO might beat Atl.
Because you never know. . . . Gotcha . . . But, as someone else said (can’t remember who), any team that loses to the Rams shouldn’t win a playoff game.
I guess we have to wait after this weekend. Things are slowing down a little around here a bit. Way too much driving, golf, and back-wrecking activities. Whiskey time. . . .
And that’s true. That why you don’t bet two weeks before the game, nimrod. If you’re going to list “best case case scenarios”, do it right- best case Is New Orleans and GB both lose before we would have to face them. Hell, It could be New Orleans/Detroit, NOT Atlanta. So help me out- we know your pick on New Orleans vs. Unknown, what’s your pick on the other game: unknown vs. unknown…
“But, as someone else said (can’t remember who), any team that loses to the Rams shouldn’t win a playoff game.” Where’s that quote?
Breaking news!!! Terrell Owens signs!!!!
with the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League . . .
LOL Cohn strikes again! Hahar
Apparently we aren’t that desperate…yet
barleyfreak finally bombed but he’s gotta be smiling. From last week:
“17-13 ‘Hawks barleyfreak ” I hope I’m wrong ….again”
Yeah well nobodies perfect barley. Thank God you were wrong…
Ok I got Niners 24-10 over da stinkin’ Rams
Yeah well it’s a good thing I’m not putting money down, especially since I just lost my job. But I could do no wrong in our FF league. I get the “Waiver pick up of the year” award, grabbing Cam Newton off waivers the day after the draft. What makes that even more ironic is that I was convinced he’d be a bust in the NFL.
Yep you were gawd amighty in the FF league. I’m sorry to hear about the job loss. Will you be okay?
Rams will mail it in yessir I do believe…so we will hosy NO?
“host” NO
But I DO hope we ‘hose’ NO
Rams are gonna mail it in. We get an early lead, they toss in the towel and then they’ll suck for Luck or just because that’s what they do best.
27-6 Niners
On a side note, and speaking of Luck, I’m conflicted on who to pull for. If the Colts lose, they get him, and if he really is one of those only once every 10 years type players, they segue from Manning to Luck. Fuck that. If the Colts win, then the Lambs get the number one and, presuming they feel Bradford can still be the man, they trade the number 1 for a bevy of picks that could build their franchise to be an actual threat in the NFC West. Of course that’s assuming they make good picks.– easier said then done. I think I just answered my question.
Lambs will stay lambs in St. Louis.
LOL barley…
The only people playing for Luck are bloggers…
That’s all well and good, Mike, but Jax has a good enough reason to lose. Win and they likely get to face Luck 2x a year for the next 12-15 years. They still own the tiebreaker over StL and Minn, should StL and Indy win while Minn loses.
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