"Balance" was the word of the week for Mike Singletary and the 49ers. And they achieved it tonight against the Cardinals. The 49ers ran the ball 36 times and they called 36 pass plays. Frank Gore was the offensive hero, rushing 25 times for 167 yards and a touchdown. Afterward, he admitted the last few games had left him frustrated. "Every time I got things going, I was pressing, pressing and things weren't going right for me. Tonight I told myself I was going to calm down, and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Just be me - and that's what I did.'
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The story of the game, however, was defense. The 49ers forced seven turnovers, their biggest bonanza of fumbles and interceptions since they forced eight against the Saints in 1997. The standouts were a pair of youngsters, Ahmad Brooks and Dashon Goldson. That bodes well for two areas - sacks and turnovers - in which the 49ers have struggled in recent years.
Afterward Mike Singletary said he was especially happy for Brooks, who arrived here at the start of the 2008 season as an inside linebacker. Brooks is one of the players Singletary has taken under his wing, and his three-sack, two-fumble (one of them was recovered by the Cardinals) is a testament, Singletary said, to how hard he's worked.
Goldson, meanwhile, had the best game of his career. Singletary recently described Goldson as a "headhunter" - a guy who was so eager to make a big hit that he sometimes blew the tackle. That wasn't a problem against the Cardinals. Swooping in from the secondary, Goldson twice used the crown of his helmet to jar the ball from Arizona running backs. He also intercepted Warner early in the second quarter and kept a close eye on Arizona's most dangerous weapon, Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals receiver had his worst game of the season, finishing with two catches for 22 yards.
Goldson agreed that this was the best game of his NFL career. "When I'm out there, I play with no hesitation," he said. "When I see my shots, I take them. Sometimes I miss, sometimes I make them, but I'll tell you what - I'm going to make more than I miss, and I did tonight."
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Yes, the 49ers' playoff hopes are still alive. But before you get too excited that the 49ers' upcoming schedule includes the woeful Lions and the even-worse Rams, the Cardinals also play those two teams. Arizona has a two-game lead in the division with three games to play. In the Wildcard, the 49ers trail Green Bay (9-4), Dallas (8-5) and the Giants (7-6). They are tied with Atlanta but would lose a tiebreaker by virtue of their loss to the Falcons earlier this year.
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There were no big injuries for the 49ers. Michael Crabtree (five catches, 67 yards) had a bruised hip in the first half but returned to action. Michael Robinson suffered another shoulder stinger.
-- Matt Barrows
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