Mettle Test
By
The San Francisco 49ers might be starting to turn the corner after six straight losing seasons.
But a big test comes this week for the once-proud franchise that has only made the playoffs twice in the last 10 years: the Minnesota Vikings.
After a 2-0 start with wins over Arizona and Seattle, the surprising 49ers will face a Super Bowl contender on the road on Sunday.
First-year coach Mike Singletary, who is trying to implement a new attitude in the locker room, isn't playing into the hype.
"I think each game gives us an opportunity to understand where we are," Singletary said. "I think the biggest thing for us to remember going forward is as we continue to get better as a team, at some point in time, it has to become less about the team that we're playing and more about the team we're becoming.
"We have to make sure that we focus and do our homework, we're prepared and that everybody knows exactly what they're doing. And, as we understand what we're doing, then it gives us more confidence going forward. I don't care who we're playing. That's the most important thing for us to do."
The things that have helped San Francisco get it done in their first two games are the defense and the running game.
Singletary made the Hall of Fame as a ferocious middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, and in their first two games, his team has allowed just 26 points.
They held the defending NFC Champion Cardinals to 299 total yards, including just 40 on the ground. Quarterback Kurt Warner threw two interceptions.
San Francisco limited the Seahawks to 283 yards of total offense, including 66 rushing. Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace threw an interception after Matt Hasselbeck left with a broken rib.
The defense will get a stiff test on Sunday, against Minnesota's Adrian Peterson.
"It is a tremendous opportunity for us defensively to see where we are," Singletary said. "They've got big guys in front of him that come off, they open lanes, they do a good job.
"He's a guy that you have to contain him every play. We've got our hands full, and like I said, it's a tremendous opportunity for us."
Establishing a running game against the Vikings tough defensive line will also be important. After Frank Gore went off for 207 yards against Seattle, 159 of them on two long touchdown runs, the 49ers will look for him to keep Peterson and Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre on the sideline.
Another reason that the 49ers have had early success is the play of quarterback Shaun Hill. The fourth-year player isn't trying to do to much, and now with 12 career starts under his belt, and he's 10-2.
Hill hasn't thrown an interception in the first two games. He has fumbled twice – Arizona recovered the first one and turned it into a field goal; San Francisco offensive lineman Joe Staley recovered the other one last week.
Whether the 49ers make a statement this week playing in a very loud environment against a tough opponent, the team seems to be heading in the right direction again.
Singletary is taking notice that there's a change in the culture.
"I think it's a mixture of a couple of things," he said. "No. 1, I think some guys are growing up. I think some guys realize that they really can take it to another level.
"I think guys realize that if we work together and we stay together and we work hard and we study, we do all of those things, we have a chance to be special as a team. So, I think guys not only hear that, but I think they believe that and buy into that."
