I don't care how ugly it was, I don't care about anything right this very second other than the fact that we won.I feel good. I gotta say it, I do. We went out, faced a decent team on the East coast and pulled a win out of our respective (site decorum.) It wasn't pretty, it was downright ugly at times--but we did it nonetheless. We went out there and we finished. That's right, finished. The 49ers can finish a football game. I didn't think it were possible even if the fan in me wanted it to be so. But now I'm getting closer to being convinced that we're not a terrible team. With that being said, I'll provide you with some links to pool over as you hopefully enjoy this day for celebration.

John Crumpacker writes a good article which is to no surpirse, a wrap-up with some quotes thrown in. There's gonna be a lot of these folks, but agian I'll only post the ones worth reading. (SFGate.com)

Niner Insider gives a pretty decent summary of the drives/quarters as well as some postgame thoughts. (SFGate.com)

Gwen Knapp of the chronicle writes that our Niners are finally playing in the mold of Mike Singletary. Good stuff. (SFGate.com)

Here's an article about Nate Clements and Takeo Spikes' return to Buffalo. Nate thinks the fans still love him, despite the boos. After that performance, I'm starting to gain a bit more confidence in him. Lets see what he does vs the Jets. (SFGate.com)

Frank Gore is not happy with his performance. I wish he had done better, but I still commend him because he didn't stop fighting the whole game. (SFGate.com)

Up next we have the Jets. We can beat 'em. I know it. (SFGate.com)

Here's a couple post-game quotes and info from Maiocco. (PressDemocrat.com)

If you missed the game, reading Maiocco's live blog is always a good start in catching up. (PressDemocrat.com)

Matt also talks about how we finished for once. That's good, I hope we continue to do so. (PressDemocrat.com)

Always a good read, here's our resident Bills blog's post game article. (BuffaloRumblings.com)

Maiocco grades the Niners performace. I always love these. (PressDemocrat.com)

The team seems to have this overwhelming adoration for Singletary. Takeo Spikes even said the win came straight from him. (MercuryNews.com)

Daniel Brown talks about how us beating them hurts the Bills. Why does that make me smile? (MercuryNews.com)

Samuel Lam at Mining the Gold Rush gives a nice wrap-up for the game. (MVN.com)

The focus is on the kickers. Joe Nedney came through for us--not so much Lindell for the Bills. (SacBee.com)

Tim Kawakami admits some mistakes in believing that the Raiders are better than the Niners. I forigve you, slightly. (MercuryNews.com)

Here's a video of some highlights from the game. (NFL.com)

Don't call the 49ers spoilers. Patrick Willis doesn't like it--did you want to anger him? Didn't think so. This article may though. (49ers.com/ESPN.com)

Our defense played well. Now we just need some better red zone offense. (SacBee.com)

If you make the jump and read the rest of the links, I'll give you a cookie. I swear.

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Morning, morning. Hope everyones doing fine today and I'm slowly getting pumped for Sunday. A little slower this week after last Sunday's loss, but whaddaya gonna do? I'm gonna put on the game and yell at my TV in anger (and hopefully joy) as if they can all hear me regardless. So here's to a good Sunday this week and here's your links and whatnot for today.

Takeo Spikes and Nate Clements are eager to play against their ex-team. They're also eager to destroy them. (SFGate.com)

Ah, an article I couldn't agree with more. Why no praise for Shaun Hill? Why no confidence? He's playing really well and I don't see why all of us are so keen on looking for a new quarterback next season. (SFGate.com)

Matt Maiocco breaks down the play of the offensive line in last Sunday's game. (PressDemocrat.com)

Matt also gives us a Q&A with Greg Manusky--just getting it out there: I don't like Manusky at all. There, I said it. Oh wait, I've already said that. Over and over. Here it is, anyway. (PressDemocrat.com)

I'm getting more and more convinced that Dominique Zeigler will return a punt or kickoff in Sunday's game. I'm excited--I hope he does well so people don't make fun of me. (PressDemocrat.com)

At least one part of our return game is in good hands--the hands of Delanie Walker. Lets hope he makes some history and takes one back for a touchdown Sunday, eh? (SacBee.com)

Takeo Spikes wont mind it is he gets booed by his old crowd--he's there to beat 'em. (And he better.) (InsideBayArea.com)

Manny Lawson talks about how he hates the cold in his blog. He's looking forward to hitting people very hard--so as to get numb and not feel it anymore. (49ersFaithful.net)

Patrick Willis needs to stop missing practices. He's scaring me--but he's back to full practice again. Here's a short injury update for the 49ers and for the Bills. (49ers.com)

Here's this week's always interesting Coordinators Corner. (49ers.com)

That's all for now guys, enjoy.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow but the 49ers did get a practice in today, which means time for the first injury report of the week.  As you'll see, it's a good news/bad news report for the 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers
Out: S Dashon Goldson (knee), KR Allen Rossum (ankle)

Did Not Participate in Practice: CB Walt Harris (hamstring), LB Takeo Spikes (not injury related), LB Patrick Willis (ankle)

Limited Participation in Practice: WR Arnaz Battle (foot), WR Josh Morgan (groin)

Buffalo Bills
Did Not Participate in Practice: DE Copeland Bryan (foot), LB Keith Ellison (ankle), CB Jabari Greer (knee), LB Teddy Lehman (hamstring), TE Robert Royal (hamstring), DE Aaron Schobel (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice: S Donte Whitner (shoulder)

Maiocco indicated Harris, Spikes and Willis are all more than likely going to play.  The bad news comes in the form of Allen Rossum being ruled out.  He has been one of the best kick returners in the league and losing him is definitely a blow to the 49ers.  Based on this past week, Delanie Walker will likely be the guy returning kicks.  If he's active I wouldn't mind seeing Reggie Smith get a shot.  He returned punts at Oklahoma so why not give him a shot at that since he's not doing much else?

The good news is that Battle and Morgan have both returned to the practice field.  Given the cold weather I'm not optimistic that Morgan will play.  He's got a groin injury and as with hamstrings I don't imagine cold weather is all that good for them.  And I'd like to see a little bit more of Dominique Zeigler, which would be tough if Morgan and battle were 100%.

The 49ers invested a nice little chunk of change in free agents for the second consecutive years and were expecting big things.  Justin Smith has delivered as expected, Isaac Bruce has been up and down, DeShaun Foster has not done much of anything, including the hideous fumble yesterday, and we've discussed J.T. O'Sullivan plenty.

Aside from the bigger name free agents, two signings have provided a much greater impact than I realistically expected: Allen Rossum and Takeo Spikes.  Both had very solid games yesterday, continuing a trend for both that has lasted all season long.

Allen Rossum
Thanks to the power of the Internet, you can still see my thoughts on the Allen Rossum signing, way back on March 2:

Allen Rossum - This falls into the "Whatever" category of signings.  Hopefully he can make a nice little impact in the return game.  While I understand letting Hicks go, I definitely will miss some of his big special teams plays.  He made important stops and could set the 49ers up with solid field position on occasion when returning.

Boy was I wrong about that.  As mentioned in yesterday's post-game notes and quotes, Rossum is on pace for career highs in both kick return and punt return average.  The man is in his 11th season and recently turned 33.  For the NFL, that's usually when you start going over the hill and speed is often the first thing to go.  For Rossum, it has clearly not been an issue. 

There were times in the preseason when he was returning some pretty deep kicks that had many of us concerned, but clearly it was just to get the work in.  Yesterday, Rossum averaged 20 yards on his 2 punt returns and has continually set the 49ers up in excellent field position.  If the offense continues to show some consistency, we'll find even more value in these big returns.

Takeo Spikes
After the 49ers signed Takeo Spikes, I indicated that I thought the team's linebacker depth had improved, even if people felt Spikes was washed up.  He had suffered a bad injury to end his tenure in Philly and was working at a new position, the 3-4 Ted.  Spikes was a crazy playmaker in his prime and the Ted is not known as quite the playmaking position.  The position is supposed to do the grunt work to open up holes for Patrick Willis to make tackles.

And yet, Take Spikes has been a huge impact player on and off the field.  Yesterday he had another solid performance, with 6 total tackles and a pass deflection.  On the season he has 60 total tackles, including 2 for losses, 6 pass deflections and a team-high 3 interceptions (not sure if that's a good or bad thing).  He is currently second on the team in tackles behind Bamm Bamm and it feels like he is making a big play every game.

What I've also found refreshing is his attitude towards the team.  I've noticed that in post-game quotes he's often included.  Additionally, when the local Fox channel talks to the players outside the locker room, he is usually one of the players involved.  It's hard to tell what kind of leadership role he has taken, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the main guys players look to for guidance.  It's just a guess, but based on how he conducts himself, it seems like a relatively educated guess.

So who really has bee the bigger "surprise?"  Or maybe you're not surprised by the performance of either?  My vote is for Allen Rossum.  Even though Takeo Spikes finished 2007 injured, he had some decent numbers, although it was a rather quiet season for him.  As my March post showed, I really didn't expect a whole lot from Allen Rossum.  And yet he has been one of the few bright spots of an otherwise disappointing season.

Not surprisingly, the 49ers were quite pleased with the win, but recognize the need to close out games a little more consistently.  Of course, when you're up 35-3 it's easy to let up on the gas.  I just got the post-game notes quotes and thought I'd throw some of them up.  We'll hear from Coach Singletary, Shaun Hill, Walt Harris, and Takeo Spikes, with the first two before the jump and the latter two after the jump.

Some intriguing notes from the game first:

• The 49ers 35 first half points are the most they have scored in the first half since the 49ers scored 42 points vs. Atlanta (10-18-92), which is the most points they ever scored in a half.
• Hill became the first 49ers starting QB to post a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the first half. The previous best was Steve Young’s 156.5 rating vs. New Orleans (9-14-97).
• Gore entered the game with 728 yards rushing and added 106 for a season total of 834 rushing yards. He is on pace for 1,334 yards. He needs 166 more rushing yards to become the first 49ers player ever to have three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
• Gore now has 4,239 yards rushing as a member of the 49ers and needs 50 yards to move past Hall of Fame RB Hugh McElheny into sixth place on the 49ers all-time rushing list.
• LB Patrick Willis entered the game with a team-leading 108 total tackles and added eight to give him 116 for the year. He is on pace to finish with 186 total tackles.
• KR Allen Rossum is averaging 27.9 yards per kickoff return. He is on pace to finish with a career year. His best average of 25.8 during his third NFL season in 2000 with Green Bay.
• Rossum is averaging 16.9 yards per punt return. He is on pace for best his best season in that category as well. His best season so far was a 14.0 average in 2003 with Atlanta.

49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary
RE: Is that the kind of effort you are looking for in the first half?
“The first half: I thought we did a decent job in the first half. We talked about coming out and starting fast, executing, doing the things we need to do in order to win the game. So we were very excited about what happened in the first half. We came in at halftime and we talked about going out and finishing what we started in that first half.”

RE: What does that mean: finishing?
“Finishing meant that at some point in time the offensive line, when we’re backed up, that we could put it in their hands and they drive it out. Finishing means that we don’t jump offside two, three, four times in a row. Finishing means that we don’t walk off the field. We jog off the field. Finishing means that however we started the game, we need to end the game stronger than we started. That’s finishing.”

RE: You mentioned a bunch of things you guys didn’t do. Are you displeased?
“No, I wouldn’t use the word displeased. I told the guys before one of the things I didn’t do when I played was focus on what we didn’t do well. So I wanted to make sure that I told them that I was very, very proud of the fact that they played hard and we won the game. But here’s some things we need to work on going forward if we’re going to be a great team. So, no, I was not displeased. I just pointed those things out that we have to correct.”

RE: The defense in the first half, especially with the turnovers, how important was that?
“It was really important going into the game that we really handled their vertical game well. Of course they got some runs early which shocked me a bit. I talked to Greg [Manusky] about it and we weren’t getting moved quick enough. We would slant one way and they’d adjust and we would not. And guys were getting caught in the slide and getting cut off, and it caused us to get gashed so that made sense, and we corrected that going into the second half. But there were a lot of good things that happened in this game. A lot of positives to come out with and continue to work on, work forward with.”

RE: It might not be Mike Singletary’s team but this is Mike Singletary’s first win as a head coach. How does it feel standing up there?
“I’m very humbled by it. My mom and my dad passed away in the last four years. Dad last year. Mom about four years ago. And I just thought about them and if they could see that. But I’m very thankful and very proud of that, more so for the guys than for myself because they deserve it. They’ve been working their tails off. I’m telling you they’ve been working their tails off and doing a lot of things right. I’m really excited about them. But going forward it has to be all of us. It has to be the coordinators. It has to be the position coaches. It has to be the quarterback. It has to be the defensive line. It has to be every one of us in order to get out of this thing what we want to get out of it.”

QB Shaun Hill
RE: Was today’s offensive output a surprise?
“No, it’s not really a surprise. The one thing Coach Singletary talks about is ‘don’t blink.’ You can’t be surprised about something like that. It was the power of the offense and the defense did a heck of a job out there and gave us a lot of opportunities. They gave us great field position and we were able to capitalize with offensive touchdowns.”

RE: What is your reaction to your first half perfect passer rating?
“I didn’t realize that I had a perfect passer rating in the first half. The funny thing about that rating is it might say that somebody is perfect, but I promise you there were some mistakes in there about myself. So, I wasn’t perfect. We have to enjoy this win. It’s been a long time since we’ve had this feeling. But we cannot approach tomorrow any differently than if we had lost. We still have to learn from this game. There were mistakes out there today, myself included.”

After the jump, we'll hear from Walt Harris and Takeo Spikes...

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Every so often I roll out Nolan quotes, post-game quotes and similar whatnot.  I thought I'd make the post-game quotes a more regular feature as I receive them.  Even with all the coach-speak and athlete cliches, we can probably get a little context.  Also, I'll throw in my thoughts if anything jumps out.  I'll make sure and set it off as my own opinion.

HEAD COACH MIKE NOLAN
On the game as a whole: “Okay, defensively we’ve got to get off the field better, obviously. (We) didn’t do a good job there. And offensively, we definitely have to stay on the field. We’ve got to convert on third down. Special teams was uneventful. There wasn’t much to report there. But that’s what led to the loss: gave them another big pass, uncharacteristic of our secondary. But two weeks in a row, I’m not going to say it is becoming characteristic, but we got the quarterback on a blitz and he just unloads it deep and beats us.”

The cliche of the day: “I know we brought pressure. It’s a good example of getting five sacks. (I know) how excited people get about sacks and how they think they’re directly related to winning. That should give you a great example that it really isn’t. To win is all about having more points than the other team. It gets down to staying on the field offensively on third down and getting off on defense, and a lot of other things but it’s never one area.”

Fooch: Oh Coach Nolan...I've joked about coach/athlete cliches including scoring more points than the other team but I've never seen somebody use the phrase "having more points than the other team."  Really bringing his A-game.

On deactiving Roderick Green and activating Marcus Hudson: “With Rod I thought that I’d just let Tully (Banta-Cain) have the opportunity. I thought that it was important to get (Marcus Hudson) up for the special teams as well. So, Hudson did the special teams. He’s a good special teams player. I felt we’d need him for the game. And Tully had a good week. I thought we’d inspire him and see if he would do something. But I’ll look at the film, but he…again from a pass rush standpoint, I don’t know. I guess I shouldn’t say it before I know. We were okay in that area, like I said, five sacks, but we didn’t win the game.

FRANK GORE
On the offenses performance: “We just went out today flat. We went out flat as a team. We just have to go out there and stick together and play hard. We can’t give up. We just have to keep playing hard.”

Fooch: I realize a 16-game, 4-month long season can be grueling and I certainly don't know enough as a fan to get what players go through.  However, I still find it amazing when players talk about how their team came out flat.  In baseball I can see that happening because we're talking about 162 games where a single loss usually won't sink your season.  But when you're playing 16 games and each one is so important, it's a little tough to swallow.

J.T. O'Sullivan, Takeo Spikes, Nate Clements and Tully Banta-Cain after the jump...

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Through four games it's readily apparent that the biggest weakness of your 2008 San Francisco 49ers defense is the pass rush, or lack thereof.  The only time we've seen a legit pass rush was the first half of the Cardinals game and most of the Lions game.  The Cardinals adjusted in the second half to shut down the rush and the Lions...well they're the Lions.

The secondary certainly deserves a share of the blame for yesterday's debacle, but I think most of us can agree the lack of pass rush opened up the deep game.  If you look at the Seahawks game, when Hasselbeck had time he picked apart the defense even with subpar wide receivers.  Even with all the injuries, the Saints brought a better crew of receivers to the game (damn you Lance Moore!).

To this point the most prolific pass rushers have been Parys Haralson, Justin Smith and Roderick Green.  In yesterday's game the most interesting play came when Patrick Willis blew through the line and took down Drew Brees as he was passing the ball.  Up to this point much of the discussion has centered on further development of Manny Lawson as a pass rusher.  Well, what about Patrick Willis?

If we were running a traditional 3-4 I'd understand the role of Bamm Bamm and Takeo Spikes in the defense.  However, since the team is using a non-traditional hybrid defense, why not expand Willis's role in the Mike position and alter Spikes's role in the Ted?  Patrick Willis finished 2007 with 4 sacks.  Based on general observations over his brief 20-game career, when the defense runs he closes in on the running back and when the defense passes he drops into coverage fairly often (please correct me if I'm wrong).

He is clearly an athletic freak who can make plays in virtually any situation.  And he's not the Vernon Davis non-performing type of freak.  So, why not mix him into the pass rush a little more when you're running a 4-man front.  Takeo Spikes is an established veteran middle linebacker who still has enough athleticism to make plays (see yesterday's interception).  Why not let him roam that middle of the field and take advantage of Bamm Bamm's athleticism?  I'm not saying have Willis rush the QB on every play, but I think it's an option that could be further explored.

I said in the offseason I thought this could be a very good defense and I still believe that.  However, as long as the pass rush is relatively non-existent, the rest of the defense will be held back.  I need to go back over the video of the game but Ray McDonald is one guy who has flown under the radar through much of the first four games.  He is a guy that I think needs to be a playmaker for this defense.  Aubrayo Franklin has shown improvements at times, but is still clearly not the answer at nose tackle. 

It's time for Greg Manusky and Mike Nolan to get creative.  The 49ers schedule is packed with quality quarterbacks that will make things a living hell.  Even a guy like Matt Cassel could end up looking like Tom Brady if he gets all day in the pocket to find Randy Moss.  So, any other ways to improve this pass rush?

Last week we did a breakdown of matchups with Revenge of the Birds.  Unfortunately, Field Gulls is a bit busy this week so we won't be able to compare our thoughts.  I still like the idea of comparing matchups, so I'm going to go ahead with it on my own.  Due to injuries things have changed, but there are still plenty of significant matchups to consider.

Match-Up #1: Seahawks pass rush vs. 49ers pass protection
Advantage: Seahawks (slightly) - I used the phrase pass protection because this includes running backs stepping up to block.  The Seahawks linebacking trio of Julian Peterson, Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill are quite impressive.  While they are solid dropping into coverage, Peterson and Tatupu are bad-ass pass rushers as well.  Patrick Kerney is tough enough on the line, but the Seahawks will also welcome back Rocky Bernard, the man who began the injury saga of Alex Smith.  If the 49ers aren't careful, one of those guys could very well take JTO's head off and think nothing of it.

After a strong preseason, the 49ers offensive line struggled a bit against the Cardinals.  JTO was sacked 4 times and the pocket collapsed several other times.  If they perform the same way this week in pass protection, it could be an ugly day.  It will be important to establish the running game, but if the offensive line isn't stopping the speed rush, it won't matter all that much.

Match-Up #2: Seahawks secondary vs. 49ers receivers
Advantage: Even - The Seahawks bring a solid secondary in Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings.  Nickel back Jordan Babineaux returns after a one-game suspension, which definitely gives them more depth.  The 49ers wide receivers were not exactly spectacular last week, but the talent is definitely there to make plays.  While Isaac Bruce was blanketed last week, Bryant Johnson was able to get open a few times to make some solid gains.  Throw in Arnaz Battle not getting a reception until the second half and you'd think the wide receivers were completely useless.

However, I remain convinced that the 49ers have enough weapons to make plays against this secondary.  Vernon Davis is getting a chance to line up wide, which adds a potent weapon.  There were a couple of 3rd and shorts last week where I wished they ran a wide receiver screen with him.  On this quick plays, he's a virtual guarantee of 3 or 4 yards simply because of his size.

I leave this as an even matchup because the potential is there for both units to be rather solid.  Either side could have a big day and it wouldn't surprise me.

Match-Up #3: Seahawks Running Game vs. 49ers rush defense
Advantage: 49ers - I think I've made it very clear my thoughts on the Seahawks running game.  It's not very good.  Now, Maurice Morris will be out and Justin Forsett was released, leaving a running back duo of Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett.  Combining two guys have been relative underachievers for their careers does not create one good running back that will overachieve (I used to be an accountant, I know how this math will work out).

We'll discuss the Seahawks passing game more tomorrow, but with a relative weak passing attack, it puts more of an onus on the running game, which I don't think they can reach.  The 49ers linebacking corp provides solid backdoor protection to the defensive line.  The 49ers linebackers have a lot of speed which should be sufficient to cut off the outside running lanes.  The primary weakness of the 49ers defense is Aubrayo Franklin.  If he gets shoved around it opens up holes in the middle of the field.  Fortunately tackling machine Patrick Willis and a combination of Takeo Spikes and Jeff Ulbrich can back him up there.  The 49ers held the Cardinals to 2.8 yards per carry, primarily because they were busy being shredded through the air.  The Seahawks might average more than 2.8 yards per carry but I'd be surprised if they successfully mounted much of an attack.  The league average is 4.0 (which they reached last week) and I don't see anything better than that.

We'll have some more matchups tomorrow....

There are two types of heart-breaking losses.  There is the last second stunning end to a game, something Cardinals fans endured last season when Tully Banta-Cain pounced on a Kurt Warner end zone fumble.  Then there's the slow Chinese water-torture type of death, as we saw today.  The former is like ripping off a band-aid, the latter just eats you up for a good chunk of a game.

This game can be fully explained by two statistics: turnovers and time of possession.  The 49ers had 4 fumbles and 1 interception.  Arizona finished with 37:05 to the 49ers 22:55 in time of possession  and held onto the ball for roughly 3/4 of the 2nd half.  It got so bad that before the two under 2 minute drives in the 4th quarter, the 49ers had the ball for ONE DRIVE IN THE SECOND HALF!

One thing to keep in mind (not to poor salt on this) is that the final score actually could have been a lot worse.  Twice the Cardinals ran the ball inside the five yard line, only to be moved back 15 yards due to personal fouls.  Instead of 14 points on those two drives, they came away with 3 points.

While it's hard to talk about anything good, for these initial recaps I want to at least get the good, the bad and the ugly down so we have a more complete picture.

The Good
Frank Gore - When he was actually on the field he was making plays befitting a Mike Martz running back.  He was a great escape valve for JTO and he looked lean and mean bouncing off tacklers.  I expect a big year from him no matter how the 49ers do record-wise.

Parys Haralson/Justin Smith - Haralson finished the game with 2.5 sacks and was bringing pressure for the entire first half. Justin Smith had a half a sack but was getting in Warner's face the entire first half.  However, the Cardinals adjusted in the second half bringing in more protection and the pass rush immediately died.  I know you don't want to give up the big play, but an occasional corner and safety blitz might have kept the Cardinals more honest

Bryant Johnson - He didn't have a huge game, but he got himself open and held on to the ball.  Considering how much time he missed in training camp, I think he performed quite well.  His chemistry with O'Sullivan should only improve.

Vernon Davis - He made some solid catches, but equally important, he had some really nice blocks and no mental mistakes, a big problem for him the last two seasons.

The Bad
J.T. O'Sullivan - I won't put him in the ugly category because he did make some things happen on offense.  However, he had trouble when the pocket started to collapse.  He made a few nice dump-offs but his three turnovers killed (even if pass protection caused one of them).  He probably showed more bad than good considering the offense only managed 1 touchdown on a Gore run, but he did show some things that have me mildly optimistic.

Offensive line - At times they got a lot of push and opened up big holes for Frank Gore.  However, 4 sacks and two quarterback fumbles are not good results.  Joe Staley was pushed around for good chunks of the game and clearly is still learning the left tackle position.  Hopefully we'll see some steady improvement in the coming weeks.

The Ugly
The Secondary - Even when the 49ers were getting some pass rush early in the second quarter, the secondary could not maintain coverage, particularly on Anquan Boldin who finished with 8 receptions for 82 yards all in the second half.  There were several third and long situations where the 49ers simply couldn't make plays.  You let a team convert multiple 3rd and long situations and you're definitely going to end up on the wrong side of the score.

Turnovers - Everything that could go wrong on offense in the early part of the game did.  Throw in the later Takeo Spikes fumble on the short kick and it was a miserable day for the 49ers.  You turn over the ball 5 times, you're probably not going to win the game.  You turn it over 5 times and force 0 turnovers yourself and you're definitely NOT going to win the game.

Timeouts/Game Management - The one continuous complaint at this site (aside from QB play) is the time management issue.  With 1:01 left in the first half and Arizona deep in their own territory, the 49ers made a stop on 3rd down to set up a 4th and 12 punt.  Unfortunately, due to the lack of timeouts, Arizona ran the clock down to 10 seconds and the 49ers could do nothing to end the half.  One of those timeouts was blown on a pretty stupid challenge.  I'm not saying they would have scored with more time left, but they certainly would have had more of an opportunity.

Next week
Even though it's only week two, the 49ers face a huge showdown up in Seattle next week.  Due to injuries and suspensions, the Seahawks could be struggling and the 49ers have to take advantage of that.  I really hope the team is able to bounce back from this loss and not let it bog them down next week.  It'll be tough to win on the road, but it would be a huge momentum builder and help in any eventual tiebreaks.

Thanks to everybody who took part in the discussion, even as the knife was being twisted in the second half.  We had 34 users take part with our highest (besides me) being shlecko at 73 comments.  Due to the length of the list, I'm posting it after the jump.

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A month ago, as we were heading into training camp, I took a look at position battles and who the leader was at the first turn (Part I and Part II).  Although the 49ers have only played two games, the third game is really the final game of importance.  That's when you get the most snaps for your starters.  The fourth game, on the other hand, is all about staying healthy and you usually know what your roster will be at that point.

Since the 49ers and Bears are throwing down later tonight, we might as well see where we're at in the various position battles.  We've got some answers and we've got some new questions raised.

QB
Leader coming down the home stretch: J.T. O'Sullivan
I think it's safe to say that barring injury or an incredibly bad performance, "Just Touchdowns" O'Sullivan will be quarterbacking the 49ers week 1 against the Cardinals.  This has been one of the more bizarre quarterback competitions in recent memory, but we have no say in this, so that's life I guess.

Ted Linebacker
Leader coming down the home stretch: N/A
This is a unique positional battle.  Up to this moment Jeff Ulbrich has outperformed his competitors.  However, the 49ers signed Takeo Spikes to play the Ted role, not to come off the bench.  Mistakes in his first game are excusable as he is still learning the defense.  It wouldn't surprise me to see a bit of a split in playing time at the Ted initially as Spikes continues to get his feet wet.  However, even though Ulbrich has gotten the lion's share of the time there, it's Spikes's job to lose.

Right Guard
Leader coming down the home stretch: Tony Wragge
The saying goes that a veteran won't lose his starting job due to injury.  However, Wragge has been getting rave reviews and may be doing just enough to take control of the job.  In every discussion of this positional battle I've made mention of the chemistry and cohesion issue.  I think Wragge is certainly playing himself into a starting role, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Baas reinserted into the starting lineup.  Of course, with the other injuries along the offensive line, another opportunity may open up for Wragge.

3rd/Nickel Cornerback
Leader coming down the home stretch: Shawntae Spencer
The great hit on Rodgers aside, Spencer has not really done anything too bad or too good to change his status with the team.  He's done enough to maintain his hold on the third corner position, while none of the younger folks have done anything to force him aside.  I certainly wouldn't have minded Reggie Smith or Tarell Brown pushing him a little harder.  However, we all know Spencer is a solid DB when healthy so I'm not concerned.

Right Outside Linebacker
Leader coming down the home stretch: Parys Haralson
Tully Banta-Cain appeared to have the lead, but in reality I think the coaching staff realized he is better coming off the bench in a variety of roles.  TBC started the first game of the exhibition season, but against the Packers he gave way to Parys Haralson.  I think TBC will get plenty of playing time each week on defense and special teams, but Haralson seems to have a bit better motor for the job.

#2/#3 Wide Receiver
Leader coming down the home stretch: Hell if I know
I honestly don't know what is going on with the wide receivers.  Josh Morgan has clearly been the man of the hour and is pushing for starter snaps.  He's shown a chemistry with O'Sullivan, has made some seriously big plays and has shown improvement each week.  So why have I not plugged him right in?  Well I honestly don't know what the plan is with Bryant Johnson and Arnaz Battle.  Neither has seen the field in a preseason game.  Both are veterans who know how to prepare for the season, but I wonder how ready they'll be without game action? 

I'd like to hope we'll see them next week against San Diego, but even then I wouldn't expect a lot of time.  A QB and his wide receivers need to be on the same page to make things happen.  I can honestly say I don't know what to expect from those two early in the season.  So now, if Josh Morgan has another quality performance, does he get the initial starter snaps while Johnson and Battle get up to speed?  It follows the idea of "going with the hot hand."  I think I'll throw up a poll question following the Bears game on this topic.

Free Safety
Leader coming down the home stretch: Mark Roman
On the one hand I love the ball-hawking skills of Dashon Goldson.  On the other hand I feel safe with the veteran presence of Roman.  The good news to come out of all this?  The emergence of Goldson makes the 49ers' six DB package that much better.  I'd be rather surprised if Goldson didn't wrest away the starting job next year, but for now, he'll be an amazing asset off the bench.