Niners defying doubters with hard-fought victories

Before I start with my first piece for this blog in what feels like an age, I must offer my gratitude to Paul Kadwill, whose always entertaining accounts of games from years gone by have kept this site up to date with fresh content each week.

But, while Paul has been taking a look back at the San Francisco 49ers' past, the current team has been writing the story of the 2014 season and, after the first three games, it looked set to be an unhappy tale.

Following a Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Niners suffered two second-half meltdowns in defeats to the Chicago Bears and the division rival Arizona Cardinals, leading to questions over the play of quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the pass rush and the secondary as well as further speculation surrounding the future of head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Various media reports have suggested that there is discord in the 49ers' locker room, with players supposedly keen for Harbaugh to be removed from his post.

San Francisco have responded to the rumours that have dogged their start to the campaign in the perfect manner, by winning.

There was little pretty about the losses to the Bears and Cardinals, which featured sloppy penalties and poor clock management in addition to plenty of offensive miscues and disappointing defensive performances.

However, in home games attended by some extremely fortunate members of our UK faithful crew, the Niners have bounced back impressively.

First the 49ers held the Philadelphia Eagles' offense without a touchdown and survived a collection of special teams mishaps to claim a 26-21 victory that was clinched with a defiant goal-line stand in the fourth quarter.

The defense may have secured that game for the Niners, yet what set up the triumph was a return to a power-run game reliant on running-back Frank Gore.

Gore had been very much neglected through the first three weeks of the season but put up a 100-yard game against the Eagles before repeating the feat this past Sunday as San Francisco dealt former quarterback Alex Smith a defeat on his return to the Bay with the Kansas City Chiefs, who the Niners overcame 22-17.

Smith ended the game in what many Niner fans will feel was fitting fashion, tossing a pick to Perrish Cox - who recorded his third interception of the season - on a potential game-winning drive to hand the victory to San Francisco.

Once again, though, it was Gore that laid the foundation for the win with 107 yards on 18 carries, the 49ers all-time leading rusher receiving good backup from impressive deputy Carlos Hyde.

San Francisco has displayed significant character in these two triumphs, which have been born of the physical brand of football that has the Niners to three consecutive NFC Championship games.

Still, the recent victories are unlikely to quiet the noises about Harbaugh's relationship with both his players and the franchise hierarchy.

Winning is the only way for the 49ers to prove that they remain a united group, however, the St Louis Rams promise to be no pushovers in Week 5, despite their 1-3 record.

Monday's contest in St Louis will come a day after the second game of baseball's National League Championship Series for the San Francisco Giants in the same city.

For a 49ers team aiming to prove they still have the talent and the togetherness to win a sixth Super Bowl crown, the prime-time clash with the Rams is just as big.