49ers 34, Raiders 20- We're starting to see a pattern emerge with both teams. The Raiders start well but can't finish and the Niners start slowly but finish strong. Which is what happened yesterday as the Raiders were actually up 13-7 at halftime, only to give up 27 straight points to their Bay Area counterparts. The key was a Niners D that grabbed four interceptions and returned a fumble for a TD. They did such a good job that Raiders QB Andrew Walter was replaced by Marques Tuiasosopo in the fourth quarter. The other hero for the Niners day was Frank Gore who rushed for 134 yards and Marvelous Norv Turner who was given the game ball for beating up on his old team.

The Niners, now 2-3, actually looked kind of good in the second half, but then again, it's not like they were playing the Bears. Don't get too giddy, Niners fans. As for the still winless Raiders, bottoming out can sometimes be a good thing.

Oh, one more thing-- what's up with Mike Nolan and his tan? Fake or real? You'd think it's real because it's not like he has the time to get a spray tan, but the dude is red. Is he too busy to apply suntan lotion?