Sports Radio Service


		49ers alive and well in NFC West By Daniel Dullum November 29, 2010

	GLENDALE, Ariz. – So, if you’re a broadcasting entity with the rights to Monday night’s San Francisco v. Arizona NFL contest, how do you sell a potentially moribund game after four days of football on the tube? On ESPN, the army of analysts discussed nearly anything they could to avoid talking about the 49ers’ visit to University of Phoenix Stadium to face the equally underperforming Cardinals. And for the better part of three hours on KTAR Radio, broadcast home of the Big Red, the discussion was about the “big rivalry” that has developed between the two NFC West foes. If you’re stuck in traffic long enough to pay attention, you’ll believe it. Apparently, you do what you can to beat that promotional drum when each team enters a prime time game with a record of 3-7. The best part is, the Niners and Cards play in a division where 8-8 or 7-9 is good enough to take the NFC West crown. So, it comes down to this – which of these two teams has decided to mail it in for the balance of the season, and which one hasn’t. By 10 p.m. Mountain Time, there was an answer, as the 49ers emerged with a 27-6 win that may propel San Francisco into the West’s only playoff spot. With apologies to Timbuck 3, the 49ers’ future isn’t the reason Coach Mike Singletary was wearing shades on a night when the retractable roof was closed. After thanking God for the victory, Singletary had plenty of good things to say about reserve running back Brian Westbrook, who gained 136 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in place of the injured Frank Gore. “He’s a pro,” Singletary said of Westbrook. “When he came in, we told him that it’s a long year and you never know when your number is going to be called. Just be ready to step up. He’s a bright guy who works hard and continues to play his role. “Tonight, he had to step forward, and he did.” That moment to step forward came for Westbrook in the first quarter, when Gore left the game with a fractured right hip. “It’s always tough when you go out every week, you want to play, you prepare and you don’t get an opportunity to play,” Westbrook, who signed with the 49ers as a free agent in August, said. “It’s tough to watch, but it’s also tough to take Frank (Gore) off the field because he means so much to this offense. “I’ve just kind of been biding my time, trying to stay fresh, trying to stay focused, and when I had the opportunity, make the most of it,” he added. “I felt good. I felt very young. I was fresh.” It was Westbrook’s first 100-yard game since Dec. 7, 2008, while playing for Philadelphia against the New York Giants. Coming into the game, the 31-year-old Westbrook had gained only 9 yards on five attempts this season. “It means a lot,” Westbrook said. “We have a lot of young guys on this team; some of them have seen some of what I’ve been able to do over my career and some of them just don’t know. They just see a guy running around in practice a little bit. So for me, it meant a lot to have an opportunity to go out there and play and have some success.” With 7:23 left in the first half, Westbrook rambled 19 yards for a touchdown that gave the 49ers a 21-3 lead. “The lane I had was huge,” he explained. “I think the offensive line did a great job of getting some push up front, which is big when you want to run the ball. The holes that those guys made “The offensive line did a great job, as well as the receivers, fullback and the tight ends blocking.” Gore left the game after gaining 52 yards on five attempts. Asked if he tried to talk his way into getting back in the game, Singletary said, “We hid his helmet. That’ll answer your question.” As for their return to the divisional race, Westbrook invoked the “one-game-at-a-time” cliché, and added, “The biggest thing for us is to go back next week and win the football game. We can’t think about the division, the conference, anything like that. We have to focus on Green Bay and try to get a win.” San Francisco quarterback Troy Smith, now 3-1 as a starter, added, “It’s pretty nice. It’s a good feeling. Even though it’s been kind of topsy-turvy, we control our destiny. If we win out, we’ll be right where we want to be.” But taskmaster Singletary notes, “We have a long way to go. We’ve had some tough losses, and I think it just comes down to guys wanting to take a step forward and be who we can be.” As for the woeful Cardinals, they may be overwhelming St. Nicolas with their own Christmas wish list – a quarterback, a running game, a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator … And, as is usually the case with losing teams, the post-game media session doesn’t always go so well. Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson got snippy when asked about an ESPN camera shot that caught him and teammate Deuce Lutui laughing on the sidelines in the fourth quarter. “What Deuce and I talk about is nobody else’s business,” Anderson said. The exchange escalated when the questioning about the camera shot continued. “I’m not laughing about it,” Anderson said. “You think this is funny, I take this (expletive) seriously. Real serious. I put my heart and soul into this (expletive) every single week.” Anderson said he didn’t want to go on Monday Night Football and be embarrassed, and a reporter responded, “That’s why I’m asking you what happened.” The quarterback responded, “I’m telling you right now we were talking. Deuce and I were talking.” Asked about the context, Anderson replied, “I’m done,” and stormed out. Just as the 49ers showed a glimpse of their historic old selves, so, too, did the Arizona Cardinals.