San Francisco 49ers: From Playoff Prospects to Gore's Injury, MNF Top Thoughts

After the conclusion of play in Week 12, the San Francisco 49ers are...

• 4-7 on the season.

• In the bottom half of the league in nearly every important statistical category.

• Just three games better than the hapless Carolina Panthers (hapless, that is, unless playing against said 49ers) who are currently last in the NFL.

• Reeling from the loss of their top offensive weapon for the rest of the season and the prolonged absence of two starting offensive linemen.

• In dire need of a strong team identity that actually works.

• Just one game behind the co-division-leading Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams and right in the thick of the NFC West race?!

• Amazingly, all of the above are 100 percent true.

Door Still Wide Open

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SAN FRANCISCO - SEPTEMBER 20: Alex Smith #11 of the San Francisco 49ers looses the ball in the endzone for a saftey against the New Orleans Saints during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on September 20, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed J

In any sane scenario, an 0-5 start and overcommitment to a grossly ineffective style of play would have doomed the 49ers to their eighth straight playoff-free season long ago. But the NFL is anything but sane these days.

Parity—everyone's favorite premise—has reduced the NFC West to a kangaroo court where no team sits at or above .500. The 49ers find themselves just one game out of the division lead with five games to play.

Logic Doesn't Work for the NFL Anymore

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 21: LeGarrette Blount #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is tackled by Ray McDonald #91 of the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on November 21, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Nonetheless, major problems still stand between the 49ers and a potential playoff berth. Despite the odd circumstances, logic is not on their side. But if this freaky season has taught us anything, it is that logic left the NFL long ago.

Throughout this season, the worse things seemingly got for the 49ers, the more their fate seemed sealed, the more they have found ways to defy all logic and reason and revive what once was a terribly tenuous hope of making the postseason.

As they look forward after beating the Arizona Cardinals to improve to 4-7, they suddenly see a more-than-generous chance of ending their playoff drought.

There are many reasons to stay hopeful.

Troy Smith and Alex Smith: A Case of "One" and Done

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 29: Quarterbacks David Carr #5, Alex Smith #11 and Troy Smith #1 of the San Francisco 49ers walk out onto the field before the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 29, 2010 in Gle

The 49ers sent Nate Davis packing to the practice squad following the preseason, and despite poor play from Alex Smith throughout an 0-5 start to the schedule, head coach Mike Singletary stayed steadfast in his commitment to the much-embattled quarterback.

When a Week 7 injury finally sidelined the first-year offensive captain, everyone's favorite backup left fans asking "Dude, where's my Carr?"

The 49ers made waves a week later, starting former third-stringer Troy Smith in London, and have not looked back. It was apparent that Smith's production in his first two starts was too good to be true, but even as his stats have waned in the following two games, he has continued to prove he is the best option moving forward.

The 49ers may be the only team in the NFL with an offensive captain QB relegated to prowling the sidelines, but they are 3-1 since making the change.

Working Through Adversity on the Offensive Line

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 31: Troy Smith #1 of San Francisco 49ers is congratulated by Anthony Davis #76 scores their first touchdown during the NFL International Series match between Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium on October 3

The 49ers also lost their starting center, Eric Heitmann, before the regular season even began. While initial predictions of doom looked to be coming true, David Baas has held his own and not surrendered the starting role since relieving Heitmann.

Joe Staley has now missed consecutive games, but Barry Sims proved a more-than-capable backup against the Cardinals, helping the 49ers rack up 261 yards rushing—most of which came after an early injury to Frank Gore.

Granted, the Cardinals are far from the pride of the NFC, but 261 yards on the ground is pretty good no matter whom you are playing.

Rookies Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis (Davis especially) have had their struggles adjusting to the speed of the NFL, but even they seem to be finally turning it around.

If they can continue to provide youthful excitement while limiting youthful mistakes, the offensive line should continue to plow the road to strong production.

Nobody Seems to Want the Division Title

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SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 28: Running back Jamaal Charles #25 of the Kansas City Chiefs rushes against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on November 28, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

The 49ers got off to a cold start, but there is no reason they cannot mount a strong finish. Their remaining schedule is tantalizingly manageable, and even if they fail to win out, they still stand a very strong chance of winning the division.

The 49ers once trailed by three games in the division, back when the Seahawks sat at 4-2 and the 49ers were a paltry 1-5. The Cardinals have lost six straight games and neither the Rams nor Seahawks have a winning record in their last five games.

Not only have these facts helped the 49ers dig their way out of a huge hole, but they bode well for them finishing off the epic turnaround. Why? The 49ers are the only team in the division trending in the right direction.

Records of the remaining opponents for each team is strikingly similar (not surprisingly in such a parity-filled league) with the 49ers’ and Seahawks remaining opponents at 26-29 and the Rams’ at 27-28.

While Green Bay and San Diego will pose major challenges to the 49ers, both have proven beatable repeatedly this year and one would much rather face those teams than the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

Frank Will Be Missed But . . .

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 14: Frank Groe #21 of the San Francisco 49ers in action against the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park on November 14, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

And then there is the Frank Gore fiasco.

Gore suffered a broken hip on Monday night and has since been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his season. Gore was well on his way to a Pro Bowl season and led the team in yards from scrimmage with 1,305.

I am not about to claim the 49ers are better off without Gore, but consider the positives that could arise from the opportunity within this injury.

Coach Sing and his offensive coordinator have long been strongly over-committed to the Frank Gore Express this season, seemingly at any cost. Brian Westbrook entered Monday with just 10 touches on the year and managed to rush for 136 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Anthony Dixon chipped in with 54 yards and his second career score.

Dixon and Westbrook Should Step It Up

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 29: Runningback Brian Westbrook #20 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes the football against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 29, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeat

Losing the security blanket that is Frank Gore may just force the 49ers to employ a more balanced and less predictable rushing attack, while allowing Troy Smith to play to his strengths and stretch the field more often.

To say Frank Gore was holding the 49er offense back would be ludicrous, but good may yet come of learning to play without him.

Consider also that—as they have been barely used beyond special teams—the tandem of Dixon and Westbrook should constitute one of the freshest and healthiest tandems in the league. Timing could play into the 49ers' favor.

What Could Still Lie Ahead?

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 29: Fans of the San Francisco 49ers hold up signs and cheer during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 29, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 27-6.

Looking back on all that has gone wrong with the 49ers this season, it is absolutely amazing they still have a very good chance to win their division and make the playoffs.

They may not deserve the chance, they may not belong in the postseason, but somebody has to win the NFC West. If anyone deserves the experience of taking advantage of the mockery the NFL has devolved into, what better team than the very team that was hurt the most by the devolution process?

The salary cap, revenue sharing and all other manner of parity-forcing protocol not only helped craft the demise of the 49ers' dynasty but have also contributed to prolonging the downturn that has resulted. How rewarding it would be to see the "hapless" 49ers prove how low the NFL has sunk, by rising from 0-5 to make the playoffs.

Stranger things have happened.

Keep the Faith!