Now, I don’t consider myself a diehard football fan by any means–not yet, at least. I’ve started to get into football little by little the past few years as the game has become more comprehensible to me beyond my initial conception of it as players rolling around in the grass, and yes, as the Niners have had a resurgence and started to win (that always helps, doesn’t it?). Where before I’d ask the people around me what was going on at every turn, the questions have become much more intermittent, and I find myself yelling at the TV at appropriate times. Progress!

Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers was a stressful one. A close game throughout, the Niners’ defense shined early on but began to break down as the game went on, allowing Rodgers and company to forge ahead twice, and later on tie it all up at 20 with five minutes left in the game. There was much handwringing due to some botched time-out calls (one before a play in the second half had even been made) and a turnover that resulted in a Packers’ touchdown. But there were plenty of positives, particularly Kaepernick’s running game. It sure is fun watching Kaepernick whiz through defenders to get a down–a lot more fun than the many heartattack-inducing near-picks we saw today. The final scoring play of the game came on a field goal that nearly didn’t make it, and on closer inspection, narrowly avoided being blocked by the Packers. Good win, but hopefully the defense remains a little more consistent next week against the Panthers.

As a Cal student, I will say I felt a pang of commiseration for Aaron Rodgers as a replay of the last field goal cut to a shot of his face–intently hopeful as the ball appeared to arc towards the right, dangerously near the pole, but ultimately ending in shattered disappointment as the ball cleared. But the feeling is not nearly as bad as it would have been had the Niners lost, so I got over it quickly.