In this plodding NFC West race, the 49ers can win with a sprint
for the finish. Their remaining games are against the St. Louis
Rams, whom they have defeated five straight times and against the
Arizona Cardinals (three straight times). If they keep those
streaks alive
—and Seattle tumbles once more—the 49ers will be the division’s
least-losingest team. In other words, they’ll be the NFC West
champs at 7-9.
SANTA CLARA
In this plodding NFC West race, the 49ers can win with a sprint for the finish. Their remaining games are against the St. Louis Rams, whom they have defeated five straight times and against the Arizona Cardinals (three straight times).
If they keep those streaks alive—and Seattle tumbles once more—the 49ers will be the division’s least-losingest team. In other words, they’ll be the NFC West champs at 7-9.
No team with a losing record ever has qualified for the playoffs, let alone won a division title. Nine teams have made the playoffs at 8-8, including the 1985 Cleveland Browns and the 2008 San Diego Chargers, both of whom were division winners.
If the 49ers lose this weekend, they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. To win it, they need to win their final two games while Seattle loses either on the road against Tampa Bay or at home against the Rams.
Here’s a closer look at the task ahead:
49ers vs. St. Louis
When: Sunday.
Site: Edward Jones Dome.
Series record: 60-60-2.
49ers’ road record vs. Rams: 30-29-1.
Why the 49ers will win: Sam Bradford, the Rams’ promising young quarterback, looks as if he has smashed into the rookie wall. Over his past three games, he has zero touchdown passes and five interceptions. Bradford’s passer ratings during that span are 66.3, 53.0 and 40.9. Overall, his season remains impressive. On Sunday, Bradford became just the third quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards as a rookie, joining Dan Marino and Matt Ryan. But he surpassed the milestone in an otherwise lousy game against the Chiefs. “I didn’t play well at all,” Bradford told reporters after completing 21 of 43 passes for 181 yards. “We let it get away, and there’s nothing we can do about it now.”
Why the 49ers won’t: They stink on the road. They are 5-15 away from the ‘Stick since Mike Singletary took over as head coach, including 1-6 this season. They even managed to lose to the Carolina Panthers on the road. So winning in a dome at a game that starts at 10 a.m. Pacific time is a tall order. Remember, too, that the 49ers struggled to put away the Rams in a Nov. 14 meeting. That game required a fourth-quarter comeback, then a winning kick in overtime. In the rematch, the 49ers will be without running back Frank Gore (broken hip), left tackle Joe Staley (broken fibula), linebacker Travis LaBoy (knee) and kicker Joe Nedney (knee). Also, linebackers Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes will have to haul down hard-charging Steven Jackson while wearing casts on their right hands.
49ers vs. Arizona
When: Jan. 2.
Site: Candlestick Park.
Series record: 49ers lead 22-16.
49ers’ home record vs. Cardinals: 12-8.
Why the 49ers will win: Because it’s Arizona. The hapless Cardinals fell to 4-10 on Sunday and were eliminated from playoff contention. Rookie John Skelton, a fifth-round pick from Fordham, is now the starting quarterback. He had an interception and a fumble in a 19-12 loss to the Panthers on Sunday. “It seems every time we had a chance to do something, we made mistakes,” coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters. The Cardinals rank 31st in total offense and 27th in total defense. And if Arizona players looked as if they were sleepwalking through the 49ers’ 27-6 victory on Nov. 29, imagine their lack of fire for a Jan. 2 game with them already out of contention.
Why the 49ers won’t: At 5-9, the 49ers can’t consider anybody a pushover. They simply aren’t good enough to overcome mistakes. The line “I have to look at the film” is Singletary’s most repeated line of 2010, but the oft-repeated refrain from players is, “We shot ourselves in the foot.” The stats back them up. Since Singletary took over as coach, the 49ers are 12-2 when their quarterback avoids an interception. But when their quarterback does throw at least one a pick, they are 6-19.
— Story by Daniel Brown, San Jose Mercury News
