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We've heard it all year, "The 49ers aren't this, they aren't that, they can't beat XYZ, they won't do this, can't do that, blah blah blah." So what else is new, right? I mean, heck...it seems like the team has done nothing but feed off this sort of rhetoric all season, and that's what they've put together in 2011 is an entire season of performances.
So what else would we expect than to hear people critique the record (13-3) and the team's chances going into the playoffs? I've read, "I'd give Baltimore the best chance at winning the Super Bowl because they're undefeated against playoff teams."
OK...they lost each of their four games to teams NOT in the playoffs (Tennessee, Seattle, Jacksonville and San Diego).
On that note, the 49ers played some playoff teams this season, too, and went 4-1 against those foes...losing to the Ravens on Thanksgiving. We beat Seattle twice, who beat Baltimore themselves.
I'm not making any predictions, just pointing out how easy it is to throw stuff against the wall when it comes to records. Jump with me for more throwing of stuff at said wall.
It came out this week that New England didn't beat anyone with a winning record this year. Yet they're considered the favorites by many to go to, and win the Super Bowl.
The 49ers beat the Steelers, Bengals, Giants, and Lions...all teams with records over .500. They beat most of these teams (and a few others) when they were "hot" and everyone said the 49ers couldn't unseat them.
New Orleans, also sitting with a 13-3 record, lost to Tampa Bay and St. Louis, two teams the 49ers beat (STL twice). They have some quality wins, though against Atlanta twice, the Giants, Houston, and Detroit. Four playoff teams, all beaten...another loss to the playoff-bound and defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
They didn't play Arizona or Dallas, two teams the 49ers lost to...so it's pretty hard to make a solid case there. If anything the 49ers did just as well against playoff teams AND beat two teams that also beat New Orleans...but again, it's asinine to make some form of predictions based on that alone.
The bottom line is that when people even suggest that the 49ers aren't a good team, it's misguided. Bad teams don't win many games. Average teams do, good and great teams surely do. There's a reason that wins and losses determine just about everything in pro sports and I think a 13-3 record over a 16 game season means we're a pretty darn good team.
Keep all of this in mind when you see the haterz hate.