Streaking 49ers could clinch division this month

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - All along, the San Francisco 49ers have made it clear they intend to reach the playoffs without depending on anybody else to help them get there - without watching games late in the season with their fate in limbo and needing one team to beat another.

At this rate, San Francisco shouldn't have a problem. The NFC West-leading Niners (7-1) own a commanding five-game division lead and could lock up their spot in two weeks if they keep winning and Arizona and Seattle both lose their next two.

For Frank Gore and all the other 49ers who have never been to the playoffs, let alone on the cusp of a division title, clinching this month would be a thrill. San Francisco could secure the franchise's first playoff spot since 2002 by beating the Cardinals on Nov. 20 at Candlestick Park if all parties cooperate.

"That'd be a big thing. One goal, we're trying not to let another team have to help us get to the playoffs - let us do that so we won't have to sit down Thursday or Monday night and hope for a team to win so this team's got to lose and all that," defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois said Monday. "We're trying to secure a playoff spot now so we don't have to worry about that later in the season."

While first-year coach Jim Harbaugh said last week he would look at the standings in December to determine how many wins his team still needed to reach its goal, he might not have to wait that long. He could have the West won before that must-watch Thanksgiving showdown with his big brother, John, and the Baltimore Ravens back East. San Francisco is 4-0 on the road for the first time since 1992.

• Rams coach Spagnuolo would kick to Peterson again: After a day to mull it over, Steve Spagnuolo's answer was the same: The St. Louis Rams coach would have punted the ball to Patrick Peterson in the shadow of the Arizona Cardinals goal posts, and taken his chances again.

Most Mondays have been tough for the Rams, who are 1-7 at the midpoint of the season, but usually because they've been trying to move past a blowout. This time, the latest defeat had to be a lot tougher to swallow because it came down to an attempt at pinning the Cardinals that went spectacularly awry when Peterson evaded four tackles on his 99-yard touchdown return in overtime.

The Rams got two safeties earlier in the 19-13 loss after punts by Donnie Jones resulted in terrible field position for the Cardinals. Spagnuolo was convinced Peterson wouldn't field the ball in overtime, and even if he did, he expected to get a stop that would result in an Arizona punt and a short field for the Rams.

Or maybe even a third safety on inexperienced quarterback John Skelton to end it.

"It's still amazing that somebody fields that punt," Spagnuolo said Monday. "He's got a lot of confidence in himself. The flip side is if he fields that thing and we tackle him at the 3, in an overtime game when all you need is a field goal to win, and certainly that's what we were hoping for."

The failure of a punt coverage unit that entered the game fourth in the NFL and exited at 21st was the last of several late miss-steps by a team that couldn't build on its upset of the New Orleans Saints the week before.

• Wild finish finally gives Arizona close victory: Four times this season the Arizona Cardinals had found a way to lose a close game at the end. A play here, a play there, and the outcomes would have been different.

Then came Sunday's game against St. Louis, where those failures, in the words of coach Ken Whisenhunt, "pale in comparison" to what the Cardinals had to pull off to escape with a 19-13 overtime victory.

Special teams were truly special at the end.

First, Calais Campbell blocked what would have been the game-winning field goal at the end of regulation, then Patrick Peterson bounced like a pinball through the defense in a record-breaking 99-yard punt return in overtime.

Players had the day off on Monday to savor the unlikely triumph that snapped a six-game losing streak.

So what if it was a pair of 1-6 teams fighting to avoid the cellar in what might be the worst division in the NFL. The Cardinals celebrated as though they had just made the playoffs.

• Suddenly soaring Jets can take control of AFC East: Rex Ryan sensed the turning point of the season at perhaps the New York Jets' darkest moment.

Nearly a month ago, the Jets came off the field at New England following their third straight loss and things appeared on the brink of spinning out of control. Ryan thought otherwise, insisting he saw some signs of encouragement in a 30-21 defeat.

It sounded like classic coach-speak at the time, but he might have actually been onto something. After all, the Jets haven't lost since.

"We definitely have been getting better these last three weeks," Ryan said, adding that this is the best Jets team so far this season. "But we're going to see how much we've improved."

The Jets (5-3) have turned things around with three straight wins, the latest a 27-11 victory at Buffalo on Sunday. Now they face their biggest test: a home game against the Patriots (5-3) with first place in the AFC East on the line. Win this one, and the suddenly soaring Jets will be right near the top of the short list of the conference's top teams.

• Packers' porous defense not relishing 8-0 start: There's no such thing as relishing an 8-0 record for Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who once again spent part of his day after another big win explaining how his defense can improve.

The Packers remain the NFL's lone unbeaten team after Sunday's 45-38 victory at San Diego. But as has been the case all season, their defense has plenty of room for improvement. Green Bay has been remarkably vulnerable to big passing plays all season and nearly coughed up a commanding lead against the Chargers.

Bears 30, Eagles 24: Matt Forte bounced back from two costly turnovers and Jay Cutler rallied visiting Chicago (5-3) past Philadelphia (3-5).

Cutler threw a go-ahead 5-yard TD pass to Earl Bennett in the fourth quarter and Forte ran for 133 yards.

It was a crushing loss for Michael Vick and the Eagles, who blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fourth time this season.