49ers move into tie for first with win over Lions

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Monday, September 22, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

San Francisco 49ers
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Are you sitting down right now? If not, you might want to take a seat before you read the following statement: The San Francisco 49ers are tied for first place in the NFC West as the 2008 NFL season approaches the end of its opening quarter.

That’s right. You don’t need to pinch yourself or splash cold water on your face. The 49ers moved into a first-place tie in their division Sunday with a 31-13 dismantling of the Detroit Lions. With Arizona’s 24-17 loss to Washington, San Francisco drew even with the Cardinals at 2-1.

Some naysayers may say some of the following in an effort to quash the talk that the 49ers are legitimate playoff contenders in 2008:
· They played the lowly Detroit Lions on Sunday
· The three teams they have played thus far this season have a combined record of 3-6
· The NFL season is still very young and there are 13 games to be played
· The NFC West is one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, so being in first place isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

While the 49ers' Week 3 opponent was hardly fierce and there's still a lot of time left in the season, that still doesn’t dampen the mood in San Francisco right now. One reason is because the 49ers played a complete game against the Lions, demonstrating efficiency on offense and not turning the ball over. Their defense shut down previously successful Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna, holding him to 146 passing yards and knocking him out of the game before it was over.

How dominant were the 49ers against Detroit? Consider these stats:
· They had 370 total yards to 240 for the Lions.
· They held the ball for almost 12 minutes more than Detroit.
· They had 25 first downs; the Lions finished with just 14.
· They kept the Lions to an average of 3.5 yards per pass play.
· They held Detroit’s top two receivers – Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams – to a combined six catches for 58 yards.

What's more, San Francisco quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan once again chipped in a solid performance, completing 16 of 23 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Complementing O'Sullivan, the 49ers established the run early behind Frank Gore’s exciting play. Not only did he run all over the Lions for 130 yards and a touchdown, but he also caught four passes for 32 yards.

The most valuable person for the 49ers in the win over Detroit just might have been a person who never stepped onto the field. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz continued to put his stamp on the team with imaginative play-calling at just the right times. Martz’s game plan kept the Lions on their heels all day and allowed San Francisco to establish scoring drives of 77 and 78 yards in the second half to put the game away.

Martz’s most significant impression had to be the fourth-and-1 play early in the fourth quarter when return specialist Allen Rossum was called on to run a reverse. Rossum returned the favor with a touchdown. Prior to Martz’s arrival in San Francisco, the 49ers likely would have brought Joe Nedney onto field for a short kick instead of going for the touchdown.

With San Francisco playing well over the past two weeks, things don’t seem so daunting as the team heads to New Orleans for a game against the 1-2 Saints on Sunday. The 49ers then host 2-1 New England and 2-1 Philadelphia before traveling to New York for a game against the Super Bowl champion Giants, who are 3-0.

If the 49ers continue to protect the football, establish the run with Gore, get solid play from O’Sullivan and contain opponents with their defense, the road to the NFC West title just might go over the Golden Gate Bridge to Monster Park.



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About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every...
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