The six game losing streak

After losing six straight games, the San Francisco 49ers finally for lack of better words, got their asses in gear.

QB Shaun Hill was nearly perfect doing the little things to help us get the win. He went 15-20 with two touchdowns and no interceptions, using his mobility to set up nice plays. RB Frank Gore rushed 18 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns, helping us dominate the first half of the game. Even the defense came thru with two interceptions. For the 49ers, it was an easy and well-needed 35-9 home victory against the rival St. Louis Rams.

What’s important here is that the 49ers got the victory, but what’s even more important is that the six game losing skid is over!

It was starting to become sickening to see the 49ers lose week-in and week-out. This six week journey I’m about to flashback to has been my suffering until today…

The six-game losing stretch started with a trip to the south to take on the New Orleans Saints. The 49ers defense had some success in the 1st quarter, but that was it. Overall, Deuce McAllister let loose with a 70-yard ground game which included a touchdown. However the real damage was delivered via air. Drew Brees threw the ball for 363 yards to go with three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns were of 30 yards plus in a saints 31-17 smashing of the 49ers.

The 49ers then returned to, what is supposed to be their comfy confines, Candlestick Park. On this two game home-stand they were set to take on two east-coast teams. But home provided to be anything but comfy in those two challenges.

First, they were asked to take on the AFC East New England Patriots. Without QB Tom Brady, the 49ers had a chance. J.T. O’Sullivan threw for three touchdowns, but with the good came the bad. He also threw three interceptions. The defense never seemed to get off the field that day, and an unknown celebrity, K Stephen Gostkowski, sealed the deal with three field goals of 35 yards plus, en route to a 30-21 Patriots victory.

Then came the NFC East Philadelphia Eagles, who, just like the opponent the week before, had their star player, RB Brian Westbrook, sitting out the game. This was probably the most crushing loss to us 49er fans in the losing streak, because the 49ers blew a 26-17 lead going into the 4th quarter. A passing touchdown, three field goals, and a 55-yard interception returned for a second touchdown later, while being uncontested by the 49ers offense, led to an Eagles 40-26 comeback conquest.

After losing to the Eagles, we then had to travel to New York to confront another NFC East team, last year’s Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants. The game was not as the close as the score suggested. The Giants used Brandon Jacobs to force the ball down our throats for two scores, while controlling the clock with over 34 minutes of TOP in a 29-17 win.

The day after losing to the Giants, head coach Mike Nolan, was given the Donald Trump treatment, as he was fired. That’s when Mike Singletary, the former 49ers linebacker’s coach and associate head coach up until then, was acclimated as the new head coach of the 49ers.

Six days later, Singletary would make his head coaching debut against the Seattle Seahawks at home. Singletary did not disappoint, however the team did. Singletary stayed true to himself. He showed what can happen if you do not perform for him. He benched “Mr. Turnover” QB J.T. O’Sullivan and also kicked “Mr. Penalty” TE Vernon Davis off the field. Still, sternness doesn’t win the game, ability does. The 49ers ability to win was not shown on the field after a 34-13 Seahawks shellacking in San Francisco.

After his the Seahawk game, Singletary led an explosive press-conference, in which he expressed his need for players that want to win and finish. The 49ers had a bye-week before the next game, a primetime Monday Night Football bout against their division leading foe, Arizona Cardinals. 49er fans felt that Singletary’s seriousness over a two-week break would result in a strong 49er performance.

So here comes what was last Monday night’s meeting in the desert with the Cardinals. The 49ers had played a steady game leading 24-20, but then in the 4th quarter the defense let some scores go. At the end, there was still time for a miracle comeback. The 49ers marched down the field only, to be screwed by the refs in the final seconds on a tackle call. Singletary was scrambled with what to do with four seconds left in the game. He called for a run up the middle to try to win the game from two yards out. Arizona’s defense stuffed the run and the rest was history in a 29-24 Cardinals comeback.

Singletary took some heat this week from the bay area sports radio stations on how he managed the game against the Cardinals, but his players picked him up this weekend with a home blowout against the Rams.

Hopefully, we can keep winning and not have to get subdued to a six-game losing streak ever again. Go 49ers!