San Francisco 49ers Are Headed in the Right Direction

For what seems like the last decade or so, San Francisco 49ers fans had the unenviable position of rooting for a team that always seemed to implode whenever it faced periods of adversity during a game.

While watching the team struggle through most of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, I was plagued by that old pit-in-my-stomach-here-we-go-again sensation accompanied by periodic spasms of nausea and spells of dizziness.

As I listened to Jim Mora, Jr., analyst for Fox Sports and former head coach of the Falcons and Seahawks, talk about QB Alex Smith's confidence and steadiness, I scoffed and thought to myself, "Jim, you haven't watched this guy like I have. He never seems to be able to pull his head completely out of his butt."

But as I continued to watch, and as the crucial penalties our offensive line continued to accrue, I watched something happen that I've never seen before.

For all the criticisms that have been leveled at Jim Harbaugh's insistence to bring the San Francisco offense along slowly, I saw the first real fruits of that labor come into view in the fourth quarter of that day's action.

Despite being sacked five times and spending most of the afternoon running away from pressure, Smith remained cool, calm and collected and led his team to a much-needed victory on the road against a non-division opponent.

The game was absolutely crucial to the teams' ability to remain in position to win the division, and Smith delivered when the chips were down.

His composure and then, more importantly, his execution of the offense in the fourth quarter will go a long way with his teammates and coaches to trust him to do more in the future. 

The game was ugly, the offensive line still struggled and the offense only scored one touchdown, but I am pleased with the positive things the team can take away from last week and apply going forward.

This game was a test of character. The 49ers responded well when it mattered. Let's hope we can fix the mistakes and beat a tough opponent in Philadelphia this week.