SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -The San Francisco 49ers flew home from across the world as winners.
And they had all week to savor their London victory last Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Not that coach Mike Singletary is doing so – he is determined to use the win as some much-needed momentum for the season’s second half.
“It felt a lot better coming back than it did going over,” All Pro linebacker Patrick Willis said of that 11-hour trip.
Still, San Francisco knows it sits at just 2-6, a far cry from where this team expected to be at this stage. The Niners were the popular pick to win the NFC West, but instead find themselves in last place trying to climb out of a deep hole and get back in the division race.
“I don’t look at the 2-6,” linebacker Takeo Spikes said. “I look at it as we’ve won two of the past three ballgames.”
Seattle and St. Louis had four wins apiece heading into their games this Sunday, and Arizona three. Considering that, the 49ers still see themselves being right in the mix despite their awful start.
San Francisco began 0-5, the franchise’s worst start since losing seven in a row to begin a 2-14 season in 1979 under first-year coach Bill Walsh. Two seasons later, the 49ers won their first of three Super Bowls under the late Hall of Fame coach.
Singletary might not last past this year if he doesn’t turn things around in a hurry. It’s clear owner John York and his team president son, Jed, are frustrated. Everybody is.
Some of the same things that hurt the Niners in an 8-8 season a year ago have come up again: penalties, turnovers, mental mistakes.
The 49ers haven’t had a winning season since going 10-6 in 2002 and are now going to have to fight to even get to .500. Singletary fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye after Week 3, but now is dealing with starting quarterback Alex Smith’s separated left shoulder that could sideline him several weeks. Troy Smith filled in at QB against the Broncos and likely will start again Nov. 14 in a key division game against the Rams.
“The one thing that I said to them was, ‘Where we are, we earned that spot, we earned that place, and as men you have to take full responsibility for what it is,”’ Singletary said. “We’ve had some tough games to where it comes to the last few seconds of the game, the last minute. So it’s looking at that and knowing that those close games, they tear your heart out, but on the other hand they really cause you to look inside of yourself the way you never have. I’d much rather be where we are right now, of course, yes, I’d love to have a better record. I’d much rather be where we are right now, knowing where we are as a team – being healthy, being hungry and coming back the second half of the season and going downhill with what we have.”
Jed York recently told ESPN the 49ers would still win the NFC West and make the playoffs. They haven’t been since reaching the second round in ’02 in coach Steve Mariucci’s final season.
A year ago, the Niners started talking playoffs after a 3-1 start only to lose their next four and five of six. They also dropped six straight road games, five in a row by a combined 19 points, before winning their season finale at St. Louis.
This season, it’s been awfully similar.
San Francisco believed it was a playoff team during training camp but thought it had fixed many of the problems that plagued this group on the road last year. Yet many of the issues are still there, leading critics to question Singletary’s coaching.
He insists he isn’t worried about his job status and is more concerned about the 53 players on his team and his coaching staff – to make sure everybody is prepared and staying together.
“We could be better as far as record, but we still have a tremendous opportunity,” Willis said. “This bye week gives us a chance to rest up and get our minds right.”
Troy Smith rallied the Niners to a 24-16 victory in the NFL’s fourth regular-season game in London. He ran for a late touchdown and hit Michael Crabtree on a 28-yard score with 7:23 left. Frank Gore added another TD on a 3-yard run with 3:47 remaining.
Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, was 12 for 19 for 196 yards after a slow start. Singletary praised him for sticking to the game plan and not trying to do too much, which has led to interceptions for Alex Smith this year.
With as little as Troy Smith has played, Singletary doesn’t want offensive coordinator Mike Johnson to add a lot heading into the next game.
“I will continue to prepare the same way I always have,” Smith said. “I have to be the hardest working guy in the building.”
The 49ers are trying to find a way to consistently finish, something that has been tough to do so far. Four of their losses have been by three or fewer points – all since that shocking 31-6 season-opening defeat at division rival Seattle on Sept. 12. That includes a 23-20 setback at previously winless Carolina before the London trip.
Singletary, for one, hasn’t lost faith.
“I like what these guys have become, I like all of the character and courage and tenacity that they have showed week after week,” Singletary said. “Some of those losses that we’ve had, I think before it’s all said and done, they will prove to be positives. So that’s what I take forward.”
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