(By Daisy Barringer)

Is anyone else completely and totally confused by the San Francisco 49ers? One week the coaching staff is obsessed with trickery and Alex Smith is throwing interceptions, and the next we’re playing good old-fashioned football and looking pretty damn impressive while doing it.

Hey, I’m not complaining. I just wish we could do what we did last night against the Arizona Cardinals every week. Of course, it helped that the Cardinals totally sucked, a fact made abundantly clear to them when their own fans booed them off of the field at the half. (Again and always: I think it is abominable when fans boo their own team, but as long as it’s not happening at Candlestick, I still can to get a chuckle out of it.) In fact, the Cardinals only managed to avoid a shutout only because of Jay Feely’s 28-yard field goal at the end of the third (and even that was greeted with boos!). Other than that, they were completely ineffective, save for a few sacks.

On the other hand, the 49ers looked spot-on. Alex Smith had a near-perfect game, completing 18 of his 19 passes (one pass that should have been a catch was dropped by Delanie Walker) and in one of just many bizarre quotes from the Niners after the game, told reporters that his lost confidence was in his closet all along. “I found it,” he said. Um, awesome? Maybe going forth, hire a housekeeper so that you don’t misplace a vital key to winning behind a sweaty jock strap. Just an idea.

Smith wasn’t the only one on fire. Michael Crabtree had five catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns. And that first touchdown was unlike anything we’ve seen all season. What made it so special? Alex Smith actually threw the ball into coverage on third-and-goal from the three-yard line. I KNOW. Unheard of! But the best part was when Crabtree went up and got the ball like it was no big deal. Bam. His second touchdown was aided by the fact that Patrick Peterson fell down and just let Crab run it in, but whatever. I’ll take it.

And of course we can’t forget the pass to Randy Moss (who has a crucial block in the previous play so that Crabtree could get a 30-yard gain) in the third. People have questioned if Moss still has it. Well, I think anyone who watched Moss catch the pass from Smith and then bolt down the sideline for the touchdown can answer that. He’s just fun to watch—there’s something elegant about the way he plays—and even though I don’t think Harbaugh is going to use him a whole lot more than he has been, I for one wouldn’t mind seeing a lot more of him in the game plan. The guy’s good; there’s no denying it.

After Moss' TD, the Niners were up 24-0... and I’ll be honest, I started ordering double Ketel sodas and coming up with genius ideas like throwing an End of the World party on December 21st even though I mostly hate people and parties. That’s the problem when your team is playing really well: it tends to pull your focus off the game. "They’ve got this," I thought. And though I was watching, of course, I was perhaps slightly distracted by the booze. (Just so you know: I’ve only stopped watching one 49ers game early and that was in 2003 when we were down 35-0 against the Minnesota Vikings and I was watching all by myself on a tiny TV with no sound in a smoke-filled sports bar in Wilmington, North Carolina and I had no friends because I’d just moved there and, ohmygosh, just thinking about it again makes me want to pour a cocktail, but I won’t because it’s not even noon yet.)

Also, the Weather Channel was on in the bar and it’s a little hard to feel good about rooting for your team when people on the other side of the country are experiencing total devastation. In fact, even today it feels a little yucky to be happy about something like football. Or to be planning my outfit for the Giants’ parade on Wednesday. I mean, I AM happy about football and I’m totally going to the parade, it just feels like dirty. And not dirty in a good way, if you know what I mean. (You know what I mean.)

So yeah, that’s about all I’ve got. The Niners stuck to what they’re good at: Running the ball (although less than I would have expected), short passes, solid special teams, a stellar defense, and a good game plan without a bunch of stupid QB swapping

Speaking of defense, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to those guys.

Aldon Smith and his two sacks? God, I love that kid and his freakishly long arms.

A sack each from Navorro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks. Have I made it clear how much I love a big sack? (Gross, Daisy.) Plus, I met Navorro Bowman’s mom in the parking lot at the Jets game a few weeks ago and she was incredibly nice. As was his brother. I felt a little bad when I asked his brother what he did for a living and he\ told me he ran and taught track and I got nervous and said something like, “Oh, well that’s also neat” because can you imagine if you ran track and your brother was a famous football player? That would suck, right? Navorro’s mom swears she’s proud of them both equally though and I totally believe her (not really).

Chris Culliver and Terrell Brown also had outstanding games. I was worried about Larry Fitzgerald, but those two made sure I had nothing to worry about and that’s just how I like it.

Dashon Goldson: That hit on Early Doucet was glorious. I could watch it over and over again all day long. Plus, I love a little payback and Doucet deserved it after instigating a fight with Goldson last year that ended with Goldson getting ejected. I hope he’s feeling it today and, while we’re at it, for the rest of the week.

All-in-all, just a good, fun, clean football game and a very fun 24-3 win.

The Niners are now 6-2. We’re two games up in the NFC West and we have a bye week to just chill out, get healthy, regroup, and get ready for the second half of the season. I think it’s going to be a good one.