Talk About Looking Ahead…

While the Cards certainly got caught with their Warners down on Sunday, and while some might say that a collapse reminiscent of last year’s epic pre-postseason meltdown is brewing, nothing Arizona has done thus far compares to San Francisco’s Joe Staley’s, ehh, forethought…?

When the 49ers’ left tackle apparently circled December 14th on his calendar the day he injured his knee last month. That’s the date of Arizona’s Monday Night road trip to Candlestick Park.

No, Staley didn’t make any brash predictions for the game, and for good reason. His Niners are 5-6. The Cardinals are 7-4. In fact, all he said was that it was “going to be an awesome game.” But if you look at the schedules, the primetime matchup could turn into a deciding tilt in the NFC West. San Fran travels to lowly Seattle this weekend, while Arizona hosts the red-hot Minnesota Vikings.

At first glance, the location of the games would seemingly even the odds just a bit, despite the Niners significant edge where level of competition is concerned. Seattle has been nasty at home in the past, and Minnesota has looked much more human on the road. But upon further inspection, the Seahawks have dropped two games at Qwest this year by a combined score of 52-22. Arizona has been nasty away from the desert, but any kind of home field advantage has become an afterthought, with the Cards winning only two of five at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Throw in the fact that San Fran has an undefeated division record, a season-opening win over Arizona, and could be coming into that game on a two-game winning streak (as opposed to a possible two-game skid for the Cards), and the once “wrapped-up” division could be on the line.

Still, Arizona had rattled off three straight until last week’s epic defeat. And that came at the hands of the hottest non-undefeated team in the NFL on a 99-yard drive that was bailed out by luck and coincidence on more than one occasion. And oh yeah, Kurt Warner wasn’t playing.

Anyway, there’s no reason for Larry Fitzgerald and co. to overlook the biggest game of the year, Part I, when the Vikings come calling this Sunday. But in case things don’t go as planned, Joe Staley and the 49ers will be playing for a bigger prize than anyone though possible a week ago.