The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh are off to a fast start in the 2011 season, moving to 3-1 after an inspiring 24-23 comeback win in Philly against the Philadephia Eagles. The team certainly feels different this time around than in previous years, as cornerback Carlos Rogers will admit. Don't get on the bandwagon, though: Harbaugh likes his team best when people doubt them, according to a report from ESPN.
In Harbaugh's words: "We'd rather prefer that all that is written is written against us...When honey words or praise are flowered upon us, we begin to feel exposed before our enemies." That's a good move by Harbaugh to contain the hype around his team after Sunday's highly-publicized comeback against the Eagles.
Harbaugh would have you continue doubting his team, but the 49ers have set themselves up very well in the season's opening quarter of play. The 49ers are at least two games up on each of the other three NFC West teams and have proven that they can win on the road with back-to-back road victories in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. The 49ers could also be looking at an undefeated 4-0 record right now if they had managed to hold on to a 10-point lead against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
San Francisco can continue to build on its early season success by maintaining the same mentality and playing the same way that it has over the past few weeks. A lot of that stems from a we're-better-than-you-think stance, and Harbaugh recognizes that in his team. Regardless of whether the media actually buys in on the 49ers as a legitimate team or not, Harbaugh will continue pushing his players and challenging them against the world.