Pushin' Too Hard

There's talk that the NFL Competition Committee might outlaw the "tush-push", or, as it's known to Philadelphia sportscasters, the "Brotherly Shove."  The Eagles love it; most other teams despise it, or so we are told. The question before the committee is whether this is a true "football play," or whether it's something else, something non-sporting, not in agreement with the way the game is meant to be played. 

The tush-push is actually a new variation on the old "flying wedge" from the late 1800s. While the execution is different, the principle is the same: surround the ball carrier with teammates on all sides, and use main strength to push the defense out of the way en masse. 

Developed on the playing fields of Harvard, Yale, Princeton and the other great football powers of the late 19th century, the "flying wedge" involved lead blockers locking arms together, with the ballcarrier tucked inside the nose of the wedge, and two or three teammates behind to push the ballcarrier forward at the moment the wedge collided with the defense. 

The wedge was, like the tush-push, used at the line of scrimmage, and variations developed to attack targeted defensive positions and even to shift the wedge to the left or the right. But the signature use of the "flying wedge," the tactic that gave its name, was on kickoffs, when the locked-arms mass of blockers charged down the field like a runaway train and smashed head-on into the defense. To the unprepared opponent it was all but unstoppable. 

Defenses were forced to come up with counter measures. One was the "wedge buster," a superior athlete with both size and speed, who launched his own body at the nose of the wedge. The great Pudge Heffelfinger of Yale was such a player; he was famed for smashing, airborne, into the wedge.  Remember Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu leaping over the Philly line and being called twice for offsides in the NFC Championship Game? That's what he was trying to do-- be the wedge buster, hit QB Jalen Hurts head-on, and collapse the wedge from above. 

The flying wedge was outlawed in the early 1900s because the collisions were leaving players dead on the field. Blockers can no longer link arms to form a mass. In later years, tactics such as pulling a teammate downfield or over the line to advance the ball were also forbidden. Pushing a player forward, however, is still legal, for now.

The great success (77%) of the tush-push in short-yardage situations is undeniable. While we may not recall a specific game in which the play resulted in a game-winning TD for the Eagles, their ability to execute it consistently well is certainly a factor in their success.  And that leads us to an ongoing, and likely never-ending, conflict of interests that has become a major  issue in baseball and, in this instance anyway, an issue in football.

That conflict is between the strategies and tactics that players and coaches deploy to give their teams the best chance of winning, and the style of play that makes the games more enjoyable for the fans who support the sport.    

This conflict has become more prevalent, and more acute, with the advent of sophisticated analytics which are used to create models that can accurately predict tendencies that are tied to the winning and losing of games.

We yield to no one in our admiration for the life and work of Bill James, who pioneered the practice of determining which measurable factors can be analyzed to determine what "works" on a baseball field and what doesn't. What "works," of course, is defined as that which contributes to the winning of games. Understanding that the ratio between runs scored and runs allowed is the foundation of a team's won-lost record in baseball, James identified the various measurable events that make up the creation of runs, and presented them in a simple formula that could be, and has been, used to predict won-lost records.  

The acceptance of analytics by "baseball men" took a generation to accomplish, but accomplish it has, and now every team has predictive models that show which events at bat or on the mound tend to be productive -- to generally increase a team's chances of winning consistently-- and which ones don't. And therefore, which tendencies ought to be encouraged.

This is the logic behind the "three true outcomes" approach to hitting, and, in a slightly lesser degree, to pitching--  home runs, walks, and strikeouts, which remove the uncertainty of fielding and baserunning from the equation and focus on those events directly related to the batter-pitcher dialogue. Batting statistics, at the team level, are directly correlated with runs scored and therefore with wins. Pitching statistics, while not quite as easy to isolate, are also quantifiable toward run prevention. The most difficult statistics to isolate and analyze are fielding statistics, and the measurable effect fielding stats have on pitching stats, and therefore on overall defense, has yet to be harmonized. 

  

Hitters are encouraged to wait, "get a good pitch to hit," and "drive the ball in the air"-- axioms propounded by the great Ted Williams 80 years ago. A walk is as good as a hit. And pitchers are encouraged to throw as hard as they can for as long as they can, to rack up as many strikeouts as possible before their arm tires. 

So baseball today is filled with strikeouts and home runs, and with pitchers who throw as hard as they can for a few innings and then turn the game over to another pitcher and then another, innings per pitcher diminishing with each change, four, five, and six changes per game per team. These are the strategies and tactics that, over the course of a season, are expected to result in more runs scored, fewer runs allowed, and therefore more wins.  It's not that managers and players discount fielding, or, for that matter, that they ignore an ace starter who can go the distance. It's that at the individual batter-pitcher level-- and every player is either a batter or a pitcher-- the TTO are emphasized because their outcomes can be predicted and their tendencies can be coached. 

What's missing is the "old style" of playing baseball, what was once called, and now seems quaint to say, the "thinking man's game." The idea of a "duel" between two starting pitchers, each working through the innings, constantly adjusting to outwit the opposing batters, has been replaced to great extent by a parade of pitchers on both sides, increasingly indistinguishable from one another. The multi-faceted offense, with "table-setters" followed by "RBI men," is diminished in favor of power hitters now being standard equipment through the lineup. And we have a game that is geared toward the bottom line-- wins-- but one that is not nearly as pleasing or enjoyable to watch as the "old style", which included some strategies and tactics proven ineffective at predicting a consistent winner, but which charmed the folks in the seats and held our attention. 

Bill James himself has written of late about his awareness of this uncomfortable trend, and about the necessity of "baseball men" to make adjustments needed to preserve the fan's interest and enjoyment. Some of those adjustments have been applied in recent years, not to "speed up the game" in order to "get it over with," as the curmudgeons complain, but to produce a more brisk, enjoyable game with less dead time.  

Back to football. The tush-push is certainly successful, but is it in the best interest of the game? Does its success squeeze the drama out of what have historically been the most intense plays--  fourth down and short, or goal-to go? Remember 15 years ago when Bill Belichick went for it on fourth-and-one against the Colts inside his own 30, and failed? It cost the Patriots the game and possibly home-field  for the playoffs. The fallout from that play went on for weeks, with endless discussion and controversy. That kind of gamble might become ancient history if most teams adopt the tush-push, and in a copycat league it's certain many will. 

Even more critically, what would the general adoption of this tactic do to the goal-line stand, among the most thrilling of plays? We're 49er fans, after all. Who can forget the classic stand against the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, the NFL version of Pickett's Charge? Or the incredible six-play goal line stand in 2001? Or Dre Greenlaw's goal-line tackle against the Seahawks five years ago? All those types of plays-- doomed to obsolescence by a mass of humanity deployed to win a shoving match?   

Football, as with all sports, is enriched by uncertainty, by action, by chances taken and risks challenged on the field of play. As fans, we love the unexpected and distrust predictability. Not that long ago the dull and predictable "automatic" extra point was taken out of its comfort zone and moved back 25 yards. It's still a high-success play, but as Jake Moody knows all too well, it is not "automatic" any more, and games-- Super Bowls-- can turn on one ill-timed miss.  

Should the NFL outlaw the tush-push, it won't be as simple as that. Effectively, the general practice of "pushing" a ballcarrier forward, in any situation, will have to be eliminated across the board. Any such rule change must avoid isolating one play, and instead prohibit the underlying tactic. To do otherwise would be unfair to the Eagles, and would set a bad precedent.

As a parting note, we can't help but see the irony in this story. The tush-push has now become the Philadelphia Eagles' signature play, whether for good or bad. But just seven years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles' signature play was a very different one-- the "Philly Special."  And the Philly Special is the total antithesis of the tush-push; it's innovative, unpredictable, multi-directional, and exciting, and as it unfolded on the field it appeared doomed to failure. Yet it worked, and spectacularly so, to the delight of everyone except a Patriots fan. It's everything the tush-push is not.

We'd bet half the NFL fans in America today have forgotten the name (Brandon Graham) of the player  who made the play that actually won that Super Bowl for the Eagles. But everyone remembers the Philly Special.

There's a lesson in there somewhere. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IReb27tFqMg

Yeah, we never posted anything after that excruciating Super Bowl loss.  So much was said and written, and it was so easy to watch the game, or an excellent condensed version of it, on YouTube just a day or two after it ended, that it all seemed a little pointless.  Or maybe we were just overcome by football fatigue.

So, yes, it was one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, it was fairly officiated, both teams made one or two blunders but for the most part played very well. Both QBs made exceptional plays with their arms and with their legs. The teams were so evenly matched that the only possible MVP was Patrick Mahomes--  unless you count, by omission, Dre Greenlaw, who was forced from the game in the second quarter. At that time, the Mahomes-to-Kelce duo had completed one pass. They finished with 9, for 93 yards.  

Asked to give a capsule summary of the game, we provided this: 

The best quarterback in football, and a missed extra point, were the difference in perhaps the closest Super Bowl ever. The lead changed hands four times, the game was tied twice, and both teams scored in overtime. San Francisco’s running game and strong defense dominated a 10-3 first half as MVP QB Patrick Mahomes was held to 5 completions for 68 yards and both teams lost scoring chances due to fumbles. A critical 49er special-teams mistake set up the Chiefs’ first touchdown and a 13-10 third-quarter lead. Then it was back and forth the rest of the way with both defenses dominating and both kickers nailing 50+-yard field goals. The 49ers’ Jake Moody, despite his 3 field goals, missed a critical extra point after San Francisco had taken the lead early in the fourth, and this allowed the Chiefs to tie the game at 16 and again at 19 as time expired. In overtime, QB Brock Purdy led a 7-minute drive to Moody’s third field goal and a 22-19 lead, but Mahomes, as is his habit, upstaged him with a 7-minute drive to the winning touchdown pass with 3 seconds left in the extra period. Ultimately, the Chiefs and 49ers were so close in ability, coaching, execution, statistics, and points, that Mahomes alone stood out as the greatest player in professional football.

The season looms, two months away. Brandon Aiyuk is demanding a trade. The 49ers' first, second, and third-round picks could make an immediate impact. Is the window of opportunity closing?   

 

NFC Championship Game

 49ers 34, Detroit 31

There haven't been a whole lot of big 49er comebacks in their storied playoff history. Usually, and especially of late, they get ahead and stay there, or they win a pitched battle from start to finish.  Yes, they overcame a 17-0 first-quarter lead to beat the Falcons in Atlanta in the 2012 NFC Championship, but that comeback began in the second quarter and by halftime it was a game again.  No, this back-from-the-dead 27-point second-half eruption is truly unprecedented. The only other 49er playoff game it truly resembles is the 1957 NFL Western Conference playoff, in which the Niners memorably blew a 24-7 halftime lead and lost, 31-27... to the Detroit Lions. What goes around, comes around, even after 66 years. 

Whew! Well, it was both exhilarating and a great relief. Seeing this team "roar back" with 17 quick third-quarter points to tie a game that seemed all but lost, then take full control of game and clock in a punishing fourth quarter that ended in delirious celebration, is tempered by the memory of those first 30 minutes, when the Lions pushed the 49ers around all over the field with their breakaway running game and a run-stuffing defense, enough so that at halftime it seemed almost a blessing that it was "only" 24-7. But after all, it is how you finish, not how you start, that matters.

And so the San Francisco 49ers head off to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, their eighth 'Bowl, with a chance to tie New England and Pittsburgh with a record sixth Lombardi. They got there by keeping their poise against a tough young team that beat them up early, and if there's a reigning champion of poise, it is quarterback Brock Purdy. Yes, "Mister Irrelevant" has led his team to the Super Bowl,  overcoming the skeptics, his own mistakes, and two tough defenses, not to mention two first-round QBs including a Number One pick.  

The play that turned this game around came at 5:17 of the third quarter with the Lions leading 24-17. Jahmyr Gibbs, the rookie from Alabama who had already scored one touchdown and set up another with his elusive running, fumbled the handoff from Jared Goff. Arik Armstead recovered the loose ball at the Detroit 24, and the game belonged to the 49ers from that point on.  

A minute later, on second-and 11, Purdy scrambled away from the pressing defense, then ducked, dodged, and dived his way 21 yards down the field to the Lion 4. Two plays later Christian McCaffrey was in the end zone with his second touchdown, and despite the 24-24 score it was clear who was in charge of this game. 

The defense immediately responded, holding Detroit to its first three-and-out, and Purdy then led a 7-minute drive down to the Lions 13, already well into the fourth quarter. Detroit's only two sacks of the game stopped the drive and Jake Moody atoned for an earlier missed kick by nailing a 33-yarder for San Francisco's first lead.

Much has been made of Lions coach Dan Campbell's aggressive go-for-it strategy, and how two second-half fourth-down attempts, both in 49er territory, failed and ultimately resulted in 49er touchdowns. But that is a big part of what got the Lions to this game in the first place, and Campbell can hardly be faulted for staying with it.

Having reached the 49er 30 halfway through the final period, Goff, who had a fine game himself, was forced to run for his life and throw the ball away on fourth down thanks to relentless pressure from Nick Bosa and Chase Young. Turnover on downs. The Lions chose to die on that hill, and they did. 

Taking over on their own 30, the 49ers put the game away with two big, spectacular runs. First it was Purdy, another 21-yard dash through the open middle of the field on third-and-4. Then McCaffrey barreled his way down the right sideline to the three-yard-line, shedding defenders as he went and finally landing hard on his head out of bounds. He retired for the day, and in came Elijah Mitchell. He promptly scored the touchdown that made it 34-24 with three minutes to play, and Detroit was left with a long and costly 75-yard drive, Goff completing seven straight short passes at one point.  Costly, because Campbell made his one genuine blunder by calling a run at the 49er 3 that was stuffed and cost his team a precious timeout with 56 seconds left.  

Detroit scored, on Goff's first touchdown pass of the day, but the Lions never got the ball back. Purdy, taking the final kneeldown, leaped for joy as the clock ran out, holding on to the game ball as the exhausted but exhilarated crowd gave him a standing ovation. 

Bright moment: Brandon Aiyuk's spectacular 51-yard "ladybug catch" at the Detroit six-yard line. A perfectly-thrown and -led deep pass from Purdy looked to be intended for defender Kildon Vidor, primarily because he had interfered with Aiyuk at the 20. As the penalty flag flew, Vidor leaped for and tipped the ball, which ricocheted off his facemask as he fell. Aiyuk, following, managed to keep his balance and to catch the ball, and was barely touched before he tumbled to the turf, then bounced up and into the end zone. For the first time in memory,  the officials didn't even bother to consider whether the interference call would be refused-- they just announced that they'd picked up the flag. Two plays later Aiyuk got his touchdown catch on a perfect Purdy pass. After the game he credited his success, and the circus-style play, to a good-luck ladybug he'd spotted crawling on his shoe. This young man has a future in the entertainment business. 

The stat line shows this game was about as even as it could be, with similar totals in first downs, passing yards, rushing yards, sacks, turnovers, and third down conversions. There were only five total penalties, none of them significant (thankfully, Aiyuk's catch saw to that). Looking closely, we're reminded that when turnovers happen is just as significant as whether they happen. And looking closer, we're reminded of Bill Walsh's adage that a successful running game in the fourth quarter is key to winning in the NFL. Fourth-quarter rushing yards: San Francisco 76, Detroit 14.  

And, of course, waiting on the other side of the ball in Vegas will be the Kansas City Chiefs, who thoroughly outplayed the snakebit Baltimore Ravens for the AFC title. Yes, it's a rematch, Kyle Shanahan's team against Andy Reid's, and given the way this postseason has gone for the 49ers so far, it's likely to be a thriller.   

NFC divisional playoff 

49ers 24, Green Bay 21

Few, we trust, were surprised with the way Brock Purdy kept his composure, picked up his team, and "game-managed" a brilliant second-half comeback Sunday.  Those who were evidently were absent the previous Saturday when he led the first fourth-quarter last-minute do-or-die comeback of his young career. Struggling with his accuracy, and with the Green Bay Packers' surprising defense, and with a steady winter rain, and without Deebo Samuel, who left early with a bad shoulder, Purdy had endured a desultory first half and his team was in the game only because of its stout defense.

Trailing 21-17 with just over six minutes to play, facing another hungry young team on a roll through the playoffs, Purdy took over the game. He calmly and confidently completed six of seven passes as the 49ers marched 70 yards in five and a half minutes to the winning touchdown. The play of the game was Purdy's heads-up nine-yard scramble down to the Packers 6 on second-and-11 with barely a minute left. The play seemed to take forever-- in point of fact it ate up 44 precious seconds-- as Purdy weaved left, then right, looking for receivers, then broke out of the backfield into the open and angled down toward the left pylon, staying in bounds after he was hit. 

McCaffrey scored on the next play and Green Bay's last-minute comeback attempt was snuffed out by Dre Greenlaw's interception of Jordan Love who, like Purdy, is completing his first full year as a NFL starting quarterback and looking good at it. 

It's startling to realize that Green Bay, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, was the NFC's top playoff seed just two years ago. This is a completely different and much younger Packer team, and they're back in the hunt after missing the playoffs for just one season.

 Another reason for the 49ers to spend it all now-- the competition is closing in.      

    

Week Eighteen

 Los Angeles 21, San Francisco 20

Forty-one years ago almost to the day, the 1982 49ers' season ended with a 21-20 loss at home to the Los Angeles Rams, a game decided by a blocked extra point.

Perhaps Jake Moody, who missed the extra point that decided the game Sunday, and also missed a field goal, can take solace that Ray Wersching, the 49er kicker back in '82, played on two Super Bowl champions.

So the Rams, who finished the season 7-1, earned a 10-win campaign and a date at Detroit, not Dallas, this coming weekend. The Goffs and the Staffords face off at 8:20 PM on Sunday night.

They were pretty good with Carson Wentz at quarterback, a little better than were the 49ers with Sam Darnold. Both gave creditable auditions for "bridge QB" jobs next year in places like Washington, Las Vegas, New England, and possibly Denver.   Wentz led the Rams from a 20-7 deficit to a fourth-quarter rally and win. Darnold made two good passes downfield trying to upstage him in the final seconds and give Moody a shot at redemption, but the game ended on a sack and fumble. 

Of the 49ers' four possible playoff opponents next weekend, Philadelphia seems the most likely; we expect the Igs to snap out of their tailspin and beat Tampa on Monday night. Next likely would be the Rams, who we figure are even-steven in Detroit. The Bucs are a little less likely, and we give Green Bay no chance at Dallas. It's rather impressive the Packers made it at all.

Who would have considered the two winningest coaches in America, Nick Saban and Bill Belichick, both would step down (or be ushered down) within the same week? No less than eight NFL teams will be looking for new coaches, and among the fired we believe Mike Vrabel and Ron Rivera likeliest to find quick employment.  Of the available jobs, Atlanta and the LA Chargers seem to offer the best chance for a quick turnaround, though the respective owners of those teams are a mile apart in reputation.  

And we trust everyone else is as appalled as we are that the NFL has decided, for the first time, to charge money to watch a single NFL game-- the playoff between Miami and Kansas City on Saturday night, available only on NBC's "Peacock" subscription streaming channel. At least they're obliged to carry the game over the air in the Miami and KC markets, for the hometown fans. The rest of us can apparently either pay up or suck eggs. We'll have ours Benedict with plenty of Tabasco.  

Week Seventeen

 49ers 27, Washington 10

No turnovers.  A dominant fourth quarter. 184 rushing yards, most of them after halftime.  38 minutes of possession.  408 total yards against 225. In other words, pretty much what we expected the 49ers to do against a tough but undermanned opponent. And the purpose of the whole thing was quietly achieved: San Francisco clinched the top seed, home-field advantage, and the first-round bye for the first time since 2019, when they went to the Super Bowl and almost won it.

Leading only 13-10, the 49er defense opened the third quarter with three-and-out, followed by the offense launching a seven-minute touchdown drive that ended with Elijah Mitchell, not Christian McCaffrey, scoring the touchdown.  

The last play of the third quarter decided the game. Charvarius (doesn't that sound like a Pokemon character?) Ward made a perfect break to intercept Sam Howell's pass at the 49er goal line, and the Commanders would not threaten again. 

You will never see a quarterback execute a play better than Brock Purdy did on his escape, rollout, improv, field direction, and deep  touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk with 9:30 remaining. It capped a 95-yard (105 counting a needless holding penalty) drive after Ward's pickoff. Mitchell gained 28 of those yards as the team's lone running back after our MVP candidate was idled for the duration with a strained calf.  It was 27-10, Purdy had 224 passing yards at that point, and the Niners went run, run, run the rest of the way-- 36 total carries on the day, averaging five yards a pop.  

Now comes an essentially meaningless last-game showdown with the Rams, who also clinched a playoff spot Sunday, as we predicted they would in preseason. An LA win over the 49ers would ensure  them the sixth seed and a date against the Lions in Detroit-- Matthew Stafford against Jared Goff.  You know you want to see that one.

As for the 49ers, two full weeks of R&R for many, likely including Trent Williams as well as McCaffrey.  The first playoff game at Levi Stadium will be played on January 20 or 21.  Don't that sound nice? 

Week Sixteen

Baltimore 33, 49ers 19

Some takeaways from a good old-fashioned beating:

• The 49ers' ability to come from behind late in the game is still unproven. They've not done it once since last year's overtime win in Las Vegas. While it's true the Niners' preference and tendency is to jump ahead early and put the screws to the opponent, this remains a troubling issue with the postseason just ahead.

• With that in mind, does anyone else think the game really turned for the worse with only three minutes gone? Brock Purdy had led the 49ers right down the field, hitting medium and deep passes almost at will against a fine defense, only to see what should have been a touchdown pass picked off in the end zone. Had the 49ers scored there, does anyone think they'd have lost at all, or not by more than 3 in any case? His other interceptions were due to batted and tipped balls, but this one rests solely on our young QB, who made the throw a half-second too late on the game's signature play.

• Despite three first-half interceptions, it was still only 16-12 at halftime, anybody's ballgame. Then came the worst stretch of 49er football we've seen since 2020, 17 points in six minutes as the Ravens took complete control and never let go. The final 20 minutes were cringe-worthy as offensive linemen, including the linchpin Trent Williams, limped off the field and Purdy looked genuinely flustered, later taking a scary hit that gave coach Shanahan the excuse he needed to sit him down for the duration. 

• And don't overlook this: despite getting thoroughly pounded on the board, San Francisco outgained Baltimore in rushing (121-102), passing (308-241), total yards (429-343), and yards per play (6.3 to 5.4). The difference in the game was five interceptions. By that measure, Baltimore was clearly the better team, but much of it was because the 49ers beat themselves.

• The AFC is clearly the superior conference, with a ten-game advantage over the NFC in interconference play. (The 49ers are 2-3 against the other conference, 9-1 in the NFC.)

• Sam Darnold can play quarterback in this league. Nice to know, even if it was the last thing we wanted to find out from this game. 

• The road to the NFC top seed is wide open as long as five turnovers don't remain on the menu. 

Week Fifteen

 49ers 45, Arizona 29

With half a dozen defensive regulars sitting out Sunday's game at Arizona due to various injuries, it was incumbent on the 49er offense to score often to avoid an avoidable upset by Kyler Murray and his merry band of Cardinals. 

And the 49er defense indeed looked, well, thin, and out of sorts, as Murray and his mates took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards for a touchdown, Murray carrying much of the load and James Conner  scoring the points.   

But as they would throughout the game, the 49er offense answered back quickly. Brock Purdy, starting off a four-touchdown, zero-interception day with a 75-yard drive, generated 30 yards through the air and Christian McCaffrey accounted for the other 45. This is sounding very familiar, isn't it?

The defense, perhaps atoning for bad form earlier, then put up a spectacular score on Charvarius Ward's 66-yard return of an interception to complete the first quarter. The second period was a bit of a slog, each team punting once, the Cardinals scoring twice on field goals, and the 49ers reasserting control late in the quarter with a time-consuming drive to a McCaffrey touchdown and a 21-13 lead.

The 49ers scored their fourth TD to open the third quarter, and it slowly got out of hand in the second half as the 49ers rolled up and down the field, building leads of 35-16 and 45-22, and McCaffrey scored his 19th and 20th touchdowns of the season. The defense intercepted Murray twice more and sacked him three times, but consider this: the Cardinals put up 234 rushing yards, and 436 total yards, in a losing effort. That is not a number we want to see heading into the season's third Ultimate Showdown-- Christmas night at home against Baltimore, the only other 11-3 team in the league.

As well as officially clinching the division, the 49ers' Week 15 aftermath was bolstered by the Buffalo Bills' demolition of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and by last night's last-minute upset of the Philadelphia Eagles by our old friends, the Seattle Seahawks, who stubbornly remain in the playoff hunt.  

San Francisco now has a one-game lead and holds all the tiebreakers, but for all the giddy talk about a Super Bowl preview and rematch, it still comes down to winning each game. And that means we need the return of the great 49er defense, if we expect to see a scarlet-and-gold Christmas.