1-0
 
 Who woulda thunk? That was a huge win for the Niners. Yes, huge! Don't get me wrong. I have not sipped from the greatness of Dork cup quite yet. Despite the huge win, I watched many flaws and have not changed my thoughts on the number of wins this season. Maybe increased them from 5 to 6? But nevertheless, that was a huge win.

After last year's fiasco, one that brought dumpyork.com to the nation, the Niners needed a positive beginning more than most. After all, they have the specter of having a terrible owner and no future. A feeling I still have. But there is a new coach, a new regime, and some healthy players. And maybe now, they will have a new attitude. I don't recall the player that said it, I think it was one of the LBs, but he talked about how the win removed the stench of last season. I agree completely. The win showed that Nolan has the Niners focused in the right direction. The team if healthy will be better. The first step to change, is changing the attitude and I really think that this victory showed the players that this new staff will put them in positions to win.

 Now to the good and the bad:
 
I loved the aggressiveness. An onside kick? What the hell is that? And to have it come right after the punt return for a TD. Catch the Rams while they are reeling. I really got the impression the Lambs thought they would roll us in the first quarter. So in the second, the Niners caught them by surprise and buried them. In my mind, the Rams were the better team, but we have Nolan, they have Martz and that may have been the difference.

Loved the pass rush. BY gave my chills. 3 sacks? #97 is already retired in my mind. He rocks. What a comeback for Peterson. The D played a good game against the Rams. It really was the bend but don't break. But it was not a passive bend. They blitzed, they pressured the passer and most importantly they stuffed the run. The Niners proved the Rams can not drive the length of the field on the road. It was a good game plan and it worked.

The O left much to be desired. I loved the option pass, Lloyd made a couple of nice catches, and Rattay did just what was needed, he made NO mistakes. But the running game? It is clear to me Barlow is done. He just does not run hard. The fate of the running game seems destined to Gore's hands unless someone finds a way to light a fire under Barlow.
 
Overall, I think the Rams on the road suck and the Niners took advantage. All the questions on O will be front and center on the road vs Philly. I think the D has some serious questions in the defensive backfield. The bend but don't break philosophy can be frustrating to watch. We can never make too many judgments based on just one week. But for  just one week we can celebrate that we are 1-0 and in first place in the NFC West.
 
PS. I think the good bet this year may just be against the NFC West on the road. We'll see.

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