The Niners lost. Fearful 49er faithful begin to search the proverbial wagon for signs of weakening lug nuts. Its been a fear inducing decade for us. Is she going to hold together until the playoffs or has 2009 buckled like Frank Gore's ankle into the Minnesota line?

So Gore's out for three weeks, there are a lot of bright spots for fans to focus on. Great defense has kept the Niners in these games where the offense wasn't so spectacular. AND, it took the miraculous play of one of the games best veteran QBs to beat them. Minnesota has the top ranked rusher in Adrian Peterson, NFL legend Brett Favre and a not too shabby run-defense. This was a game the Niners could have lost without taking it too hard, but instead they almost won without their crown jewel, Gore. Can Gore carry it all? I don't think so, but now it appears he doesn't have to. Patrick Willis, Dre Bly and the rest of the defense has stepped up, mirroring the fearsome play of their coach's playing days in Chicago. It was nice to be able to root again and feel actual sadness when they lost, as opposed to a light shrug and a dismisive comment about the 'new' Niners. These guys look and play a little like the old 80s squads. It's good to be back in the fold again where other teams are actually focussed on playing the Niners instead of whoever's next week. Maybe it's the new/old jerseys.