The period of mourning is over. The 2011-12 season was unique in that most of us realized before the season began that this year would not be a good one. There was the defending champion Green Bay Packers, who from the beginning of the season demonstrated that they are the elite team of the North. There was defending division champion Chicago, who as long as Matt Forte and Jay Cutler were present, were a force greater than our own. And there was the upstart Detroit Lions, who parlayed Matt Millen and first-round wide receiver blunders into enough early picks to put together a real team. Oh yes, we knew.
We had hope because of Adrian Peterson. There was talent in Percy Harvin. Jared Allen and Kevin Williams gave us enough of a defensive front to expect sacks. And there was Donovan McNabb. While no one thought he was Tom Brady, there was reason to believe he could improve the QB position from an aging Brett Favre and the friends of 2010-11. Enough pieces to compete.
And we did compete for a while. The early season losses were games within which most fans saw a chance for victory. Twenty point half-time leads. Late game leads. Close games. But we seemed to lose them all. By the middle of the season the writing was on the wall. The North would be tough in 2011-12, and we were not. McNabb was removed and the rebuilding began.
But rebuilding usually happens in the off-season. The NFL Draft. Free agency. Rebuilding in the seventh game usually means water under the bridge. Troubled waters. And the sea was angry in 2011. Adrian Peterson would finish with a season-ending injury. Minnesota would fall into the 3rd pick in the upcoming draft. The fans or citizens grew cold on helping support the Vikings' stay in Minnesota by the finding of a new facility. Coaches got fired. Sites blocked. The legislature using stadium talk for political gain.
A hush blankets the state.
The Super Bowl is today. The New England Patriots will face the New York Giants. Two big cities. Two storied teams. Two great quarterbacks. One great coach. One great defensive front.
In these quiet times it is important to take inventory. There are still many pieces of the puzzle in place despite all the negativity. It is comforting to know that the last nine years there has been at least one team that went from last to first in their division. The 49ers managed this feat in 2011. Maybe in our solitude we should study the framework of San Francisco.
Alex Smith was a number one draft choice in 2005. He labored for seven years before emerging as a play-off quarterback. Only one of those seasons did he start every game. RB Frank Gore was chosen 65th overall in the 2005 draft. TE Vernon Davis was chosen 6th overall in the 2006 Draft. WR Michael Crabtree 10th in the 2009. The offensive line that was a big part of why the 49ers were so good held three first-rounders, two taken in the 2010 draft (OG Mike Iupati 17th, OT Anthony Davis 11th).
