49ers win 'by any means necessary’

By Art Spander

SANTA CLARA — The people who play and coach the game understand what it’s about: Success. How you achieve it is inconsequential.

They don’t judge on style points, only on final scores. Al Davis told us exactly what matters in the NFL with his mantra, “Just win baby.”

This 49er season hasn’t been what some thought it might be. The team has struggled at times, mystified at other times. It lost to the Chicago Bears at home — the Chicago Bears, for heaven’s sake — and couldn’t even be competitive against the Denver Broncos.

And yet a few days before Thanksgiving, here are the Niners, perplexing, confusing — at least to the fan base — but still hanging in there. On Sunday, San Francisco, albeit unimpressively, defeated the Washington Redskins, 17-13. Then, Thursday, again here at Levi’s Stadium, they play the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who at 7-4 have the same record as the Niners.

The Niners needed a touchdown with only 2 minutes 59 seconds remaining to overtake a Redskins team that now has a 3-8 record, a quarterback (Robert Griffin III) who knocks his teammates and a coach (Jay Gruden) who knocks his quarterback.

The important thing is they got that touchdown, the first one all season in the fourth quarter with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback.     

The important thing is when the time came, on fourth and one from their own 34 with only some five minutes remaining, they got a three-yard run from Frank Gore.

The important thing is the next play Kaepernick connected with Anquan Boldin for 29 yards, and when Redskins safety Ryan Clark was called for unnecessary roughness for his hit on Boldin the ball was on the Washington 19.

“We’ve got to make plays when they’re there,” said Bruce Miller, the Niner fullback. “Today, especially late in the game, we made them.”

That’s what winners do, of course. Even when they turn the ball over three times. Even when they give up 136 net yards rushing.

“That’s one thing about this team, and I applaud them for their efforts to keep going when it gets tough,” said tight end Vernon Davis. “We fought. We stayed in there, and we pulled it off.”  

Up north, the Seahawks were beating the division-leading Cardinals, 19-3. Then Thursday they’ll be in Santa Clara. If the Niners are going to the postseason it’s a game they have to win, because later they play up in Seattle where they never win.

Yet what might happen concerned the Niners less than what did happen, the victory over the Skins. 

“We win these kind of games by any means necessary,” said Niners coach Jim Harbaugh. “When you (turn the ball over), it’s about the team sticking together.

“We turned the ball over, and some teams will hang their heads when that happens. But that’s not what this team’s about. This team’s about each other. They’re about the team, the team, the team. Not into criticizing each other. We’re not into badmouthing each other, talking about each other. We’re into lifting each other up. Guys just kept playing and fighting. That’s what good teams do.” 

If by implication that was a zinger against the Redskins and their apparent dissension, Harbaugh made no effort to make anyone believe anything else. He read and heard what Griffin said about his teammates, that they needed to play better, and what Gruden said about Griffin, that he needed to worry about himself and not the others.

The unity of a football team is essential if unpredictable. A week ago, Niner linebacker Ahmad Brooks whined about coming out of a game. Just as the issue seemed about to enter crisis stage, Brooks gave his apology and Harbaugh wisely was in complete acceptance. He’s ready with a quick show of support. His guys are his guys.

One of those guys is Boldin, whom the Niners acquired from Baltimore before the 2013 season. Although 34 and in his 12^th season, the ability has not ebbed.

“He’s a shining star,” Harbaugh insisted of Boldin, “a stalwart. Still making the big plays.”

Which is what Boldin hopes to make. His touchdown for Baltimore in the Super Bowl XLVII two seasons ago helped defeat the Niners. Now he helping the Niners beat others.

“At some point,” said Boldin, “we were going to have to make a play, win a game on offense. Defense played their butts off. I think (the offense) played well in spurts, but we shot ourselves in the foot at times. Three turnovers definitely were detrimental. Tough games, but guys are making plays when called upon at the right times.”

Boldin made them. Kaepernick made them. The defense made them.

“A good team doing what it has to do,” said Harbaugh, “to win a football game.”

How good? We’ll know in a matter of days.