For all the games we deserved to win and lost, this was a GIFT.

[Ed Burmila]

We did everything in our power to lose this game and SF just wouldn't let us. Hill throws an INT to nobody and then that RIDICULOUS play call on the last play of the game.....man, Singletary really bailed us out.

Awful. I've never seen us play so horribly and win.

 

[jmt]

"The times they are a changin . . . "

 

[FrustratedFan04]

Amen. We did everything wrong, and I mean everything, and won a game we didn't deserve to win, but I guess it's better then losing. But for Okefore touching Gore......

 

[arthurracoon]

yup

this team just did not play well at all

they couldve given me a heart attack

 

[Gambit]

I'm laughing and can't stop

 

[FrustratedFan04]

I'm laughing and can't stop

I feel the same way, but it's like if I didn't laugh I'd cry. I mean I was waiting for them to lose and when they won, it didn't even have a kick to it, I mean it was just over.

 

[Renz]

Amen, Ed. It's frustrating we couldn't put SF away, but we never would have won this game before this season.

 

[Evil Ash]

That game for the Cards was not just ugly ... it was FUGLY!!

I'm still trying to figure out how we won it even though I just saw it.

Even good teams have to win ugly on occassion and thankfully there are no aesthetic points in the NFL. A win is a win.

 

[SuperSpck]

Whew. That was rough, but not as soul coughingly horrible as a loss would have been.

Shake it off baby, new game week starts tomorrow.

 

[az1965]

An UGLY win >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> a CLOSE loss and a moral victory

 

[RobbleRobble]

Positives:
- Any other year and we leave this game with a L. Maybe things are starting to swing our way.
- Four game lead. That thing we see on the horizon is the playoffs.

Negatives:
- A good team does not give the Niners a chance to snatch a victory here. We need to take a good look in the mirror and watch a lot of film on this one and not make the same mistakes.
- NFC playoff teams are licking their chops and hope they draw the Cardinals in round 1 of the playoffs.

 

[Mainstreet]

The Cardinals definitely should have lost. The tone was set with the opening kickoff which SF returned for a touchdown. I don't think the Cardinals even got a hand on the kickoff returner. The fans deserved a better showing from the Cardinals as the crowd was electrified. It's hard to feel good about this game even though it is a win.

 

[Osbern61]

but I guess it's better then losing.

Thats a good guess.

 

[FrustratedFan04]

Thats a good guess.

You got me there.....

 

[moklerman]

One of the most exciting games of the year, the 49ers on an emotional high, Cardinals hold the 49ers to 3 in the 2nd half and 0 in the 4th quarter. Come from behind win on national t.v. Held Gore under 100 yards. Overcame numerous bad calls that would have made the game a laugher if called correctly. To come through with a win against so many expectations and everything else?

All sounds good to me.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

One of the most exciting games of the year, the 49ers on an emotional high, Cardinals hold the 49ers to 3 in the 2nd half and 0 in the 4th quarter. Come from behind win on national t.v. Held Gore under 100 yards. Overcame numerous bad calls that would have made the game a laugher if called correctly. To come through with a win against so many expectations and everything else?

All sounds good to me.

uh, i thought there were a lot of terrible calls, but the majority went in FAVOR of the cardinals tonight.

won't quibble with the win. still in shock that it went our way when we tried to cardinal our way out of the win to the best of our ability.

proud of everyone in the game, at the game, and on this board who stuck it all through. whew, i am hurting.

 

[Osbern61]

uh, i thought there were a lot of terrible calls, but the majority went in FAVOR of the cardinals tonight.

won't quibble with the win. still in shock that it went our way when we tried to cardinal our way out of the win to the best of our ability.

proud of everyone in the game, at the game, and on this board who stuck it all through. whew, i am hurting.

The Cardinal faithful at the stadium never let up!

 

[TheHopToad]

I'm guessing this game will be selected for NFL Replay. Can't wait to see it again.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

The Cardinal faithful at the stadium never let up!

That fans get an A+++

 

[Totally_Red]

I'm guessing this game will be selected for NFL Replay. Can't wait to see it again.

Yup! Just not sure my heart can take a replay even knowing the ending.

 

[Krangodnzr]

uh, i thought there were a lot of terrible calls, but the majority went in FAVOR of the cardinals tonight.

won't quibble with the win. still in shock that it went our way when we tried to cardinal our way out of the win to the best of our ability.

proud of everyone in the game, at the game, and on this board who stuck it all through. whew, i am hurting.

Yeah that clipping non-call on Rossum's TD really went our way. It was so blatant, I was absolutely sure they were going to call it...

 

[Vermont Maverick]

Overcame numerous bad calls that would have made the game a laugher if called correctly.

We deserved the penalties we got. Maybe the pushoff on Boldiin, but that's being nitpicky. Dansby sort-of tried to pull off on his late hit, but that gets called every time. The offsides penalties were clear - and that cost us 14 points. It's a long game, and the refs are an element of the game.

We lead the league in Penalties, again. We can blame the refs like losers do, or start cutting them down, like winners do. I'm very excited that we won, and we are so much better, but if we are really going to do something, this needs to be addressed. Period.

 

[football karma]

I guess this is as good a place as any for my game thoughts:

I dont know if you could call it a gift - the Cards gave as much as they received it seems.

Coming into the game, the number one thing that worried me was facing a team with a new coach, new QB and coming off of a bye. We all saw with the Rams the kind of short term bump a team gets with a new coach. We also know that new Qbs can have a pretty effective three game stretch or so before enough tape gets out on him and defenses catch up. Thankfully the Cards dodged all those things. That being said, this is a win that feels a little like a loss. Call it a U-F-W (ugly f-in win).

On the running game: I have no issue with draw plays -- but the way the Cards run them is so slow developing that they had little chance last night. By the middle of the third quarter -- I felt like handing the ball off was doing the 49ers a favor.

Russ Grimm needs to get on his guys. The false starts are becoming ridiculous. When a team throws as much as the Cards do in the shotgun (and hence, run a quasi-silent count) -- the tackles are going to get more false starts than the average NFL tackle -- but your guards shouldnt. Latui better be doing all sorts of good things we cant see, because the things we can see are an issue.

 

[ajcardfan]

Part of being a winning team is getting the breaks. Even the Pats got some breaks last year. When you see what happened last night, and plays like Urban's TD in St. Louis, it's just surreal when you've followed this team as long as most of us have. And, it's far from being even. We deserve many more breaks this season and in future seasons.

 

[football karma]

one last thought on a "gift"

Niners undoubtedly botched the last 35 secs of the game last night. However...

they also had a first time head couch in his second game and a new QB with limited playing experience.

Game / clock management with everything else swirling around you is a tough thing for all first time head coaches (witness Wis' struggles in a couple situations last year). Running the hurry up is also a thing Qbs get better at with more experience.

Should it be a huge surprise that the Niners had that issue given a new coach and new QB?