By Daisy Barringer

The San Francisco 49ers are 3-1 and just won two back-to-back games on the road for the first time since 2006. With losses by Arizona (1-3), Seattle (1-3), and the Rams (0-4), the 49ers are also two full games ahead in the NFC West. If this had happened last year, you can bet your ass I’d have started this post with: THE NINERS ARE GOING TO WIN THE DIVISION!!! And then I’d have come to your office or home and thrown confetti in your face and forced champagne down your throat.

But this year, I’ll just say:

I think it’s quite possible that the 49ers are going to win the NFC West. Very, very possible.

But there’s still a lot of football to be played.

Most people today are saying not that the 49ers won this game, but that the Eagles lost it. Fine. Whatever. I’m sorry Philadelphia that your team is so bad that your QB can throw for a career-high 416 yards and you still can’t win. (No I’m not. What I’m sorry about is that I didn’t start him on my fantasy team.) And I’m sorry your rookie kicker missed two easy field goals. (Again, not really.) And I’m sooooo sorry your running back decided to throw a pass (and fumble it) instead of going down with the ball on the goal line and letting you kick a field goal. (Seriously? That guy should be fired from football.)

But all of those things? They aren’t why the 49ers came back from a 20-point deficit to win the game. No, we came back because we have heart. We came back because we wanted it. We came back because of the coaching and the playing. We came back. And we won.

Here’s the deal: We are one-quarter of the way through the football season and the 49ers look the best they have in years. More than that, they look like they WANT to play hard and win. (Thank you, Harbaugh.) That forced fumble on Maclin by Justin Smith in the 4th quarter? I could have cried. Jeremy Maclin caught seven passes for 74 yards yesterday. The Niners’ secondary did their best, but couldn’t contain him (the guy is fast). And then…from out of no where…with the Eagles nearing game-winning field goal range…285 pound Justin Smith caught Maclin from behind and forced a fumble with 2:06 left in the game. And Dashon Goldson recovered it. MAGIC. (Except not magic because these guys practice and play hard and with heart.) OMG, can you tell I have a sports-crush on Justin Smith right now (always)? Dreamy…

Huh? Where were we? Sorry, let me just wipe the stars from my eyes and the drool from my chin and we can get back to football.

Ok. All better.

And it wasn’t just Justin Smith who played with a fervor I haven’t seen in a while. Alex Smith looked incredibly confident and handled his few mistakes appropriately. Michael Crabtree made catches he previously would have dropped. Our offensive line looked much better. Our defense didn’t contain Michael Vick the way I thought they would/should, but rookie Aldon Smith had his first sack (congrats!) and, well, we already talked about Justin Smith. *swoon*

In addition, I thought the coaching looked the best it has all season. I didn’t question any of Harbaugh’s decision and whatever he did at halftime worked. He said he delivered a calm “we need to play a little better message.” Which they did. Only instead of playing “a little” better, they played a shit-ton better. (The fact that I use adjectives like “shit-ton” is what makes me feel really great about the fact that I’ll still be paying off my student loans for my MFA in Creative Writing when I’m 70.)

Oh. And our run game. Let’s talk about our run game, shall we? Last week, my adorable boyfriend had the gall to diss Frank Gore. Obviously we got in a fight about it. Fast forward to this week and guess who was the hero of the game rushing for 127 yards on 15 carries, two catches for 62 yards, a 12-yard touchdown to put the Niners up by one with three minutes left in the game, and two first downs at the end of the game to run out the clock and seal the win?

That’s right: Frank Gore.

But did I turn to my boyfriend and smirk like a little biotch and tell him, “I told you so?” Did I remind him of all the shit talking he did last Sunday and demand an apology? Did I aggressively high five him after Gore’s TD and completely miss his hand and smack him really hard in the nose? Fine: maybe I did that last part. But the rest of it? No. Because I am a lady and a lady knows there is no point in gloating in private when she can totally write about it on the Internet the next day.

(Kendall Hunter, whom I always want to call Kendall Jackson because I’m a lush, also had a good game and I’m excited for those two to work together and for the future with Hunter.)

The one thing I will say before I leave you for the week is that the 49ers also went 3-1 in 2009. We thought we had the NFC West in hand. And then…we ended up going 8-8 and missing the playoffs. Sigh.

I don’t think that’s going to happen. I hope to hell that doesn’t happen. But the new mature Daisy has learned not to scream in all caps and throw confetti in your face, only to have you still finding bits and pieces of red and gold paper in your couch three months later when you’re watching the 49er-less playoffs.

When we do win the NFC West though? No one will celebrate more than I.

Congrats Niners on a great win yesterday. I love you guys. (Especially YOU, Justin Smith. Xx.)

Prediction for Next Week: SAN FRANCISCO over Tampa Bay. (Who wants to invite me to their tailgate?)