Cardinals Beware, the Niners are for Real
By Scott Allen
I guess the best thing you could say about the Arizona Cardinals and their current state of standing in the NFC West is that they still do have two games against the San Francisco 49’ers. They will have to win both games to even entertain staying in the NFC West race. No split, nothing else other than a sweep. The Niners proved they were for real today (if they already hadn’t done so), with a 25-19 win against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The win puts the Niners three and a half games up on the Cards.
The Niners aren’t world beaters, however they are learning how to win close games. They did whip the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home last week, however, close wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions on the road remain the most impressive to me. A team that knows how to win close games. Wow – the exact opposite of the Cardinals.
The Cards lost their first three games by a total of eight points. I think right there right now tells the biggest difference. Yes, Niners quarterback Alex Smith is playing better, but he hasn’t been a world beater either. He is the best QB in the division right now, but only because the Niners aren’t allowing him to lose games. They’ve been putting the games in their defense’s hands and the hands of the running game. However, when given the chance, Smith has not made many mistakes. Enough said.
The Cards are going to have to figure things out fast. It doesn’t get any easier for them. The Pittsburgh Steelers are up next.
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