What a difference a year has made for the San Francisco 49ers.  A year ago the 49ers had a 5-9 record and were led by Mike Singletary who was a week away from being fired.  Today the 49ers are led by Jim Harbaugh and a group of coaches who know what they are doing.  Before last season the 49ers were the picked as the clear favorite to win the NFC West.  In the season opener against the Seahawks in Seattle the 49ers were embarrassed in a 31-6 loss.  Singletary thanked the Seahawks for “kicking our tails” because that would light a fire under the team.  The 49ers would go on to loose the next four games.

The Seahawks won the NFC West last season for the fifth time since 2004.  They won it with a losing record of 7-9 but beat the defending champions New Orleans Saints in the playoffs.  Harbaugh was hired the day before the Seahawks pulled off the upset win in the Wild Card round.  Many of the NFL pundits picked the 49ers to win the NFC West last season because of the talent on the team and Alex Smith being with the same offensive coordinator.  Not even continuity could save the Singletary debacle.

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