(By Daisy Barringer)
Most of yesterday was business as usual. I woke up hungover. Went to the Blackthorn Tavern to watch the Niners game. Drank a Bloody Mary. Ate pizza for breakfast. Drank another Bloody Mary. Switched to beer.
But as much as I stuck to my familiar routine, something didn’t feel quite right. And despite the numerous alcoholic beverages I consumed, I just couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness. The feeling that something was wrong.
But nothing was wrong. Frank Gore rushed for over 100 yards for fifth straight game (a franchise record). Patrick Willis had a game-high 13 tackles and forced two fumbles. Bruce Miller caught a touchdown pass. The 49ers were winning.
And that’s when it hit me.
I was uncomfortable being so comfortable.
My heart wasn’t racing. I wasn’t jumping out of my seat. There was no finger crossing or deals made with a God I only believe in during football.
We were winning. And we were doing it calmly and efficiently. Without drama or anxiety. And that, my friends, is not something any 49ers fan is accustomed to. So yeah, it freaked me out. Thank goodness because that whole feeling comfortable thing? It was sort of terrible.
I’ve already promised you that I’m not going to make bold declarations about the 49ers going to the playoffs. I will say we are going to the playoffs if and when that happens. But what I will say now is this:
- The 49ers handled the Redskins. The 19-11 score does not accurately reflect the fact that we dominated almost the entire game, holding them to three points for 58 minutes of the game.
- The 49ers are five games ahead in the NFC West. In fact, the other three teams in the NFC West have only won four games total. We’ve won seven. SEVEN!
- The 49ers have a 99.9% chance of winning the NFC West.
- If the 49ers keep playing the way they have been, they could easily earn a bye
- week and home field advantage.
- The only team in the NFL with a better record than us are the Green Bay Packers (8-0). They’re the team to beat. Hopefully someone else does it for us because if we do face them in the playoffs (if we go), I don’t know that we can win.
So yeah, I’m not saying we are going to the playoffs, but, I mean, we’re probably going to the playoffs. OK FINE. WE ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS.
And fine. I may have contemplated booking a hotel room in Indianapolis for the weekend of February 5th. It just seems like I may need to be there that weekend.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go do my 7-1 dance in my living room. Because, holy cow, you guys: The San Francisco 49ers—YOUR San Francisco 49ers—are 7-1. And god, does it feel good.
Prediction for Next Week: SAN FRANCISCO over New York Giants. I think it’s going to be a tough game with a lot of annoying Giants' fans, but we’re on a roll and as long as we keep playing the way we have been (and Gore’s sprained ankle doesn’t keep him out of the game), we can do this. I believe and it feels awesome. 7-1!