Mike Singletary offered a new quotable sound byte during Wednesday's press conference. "I have no problem with 'conservative.' If you want to say I'm a conservative guy, that's great. I have no problem with 'exotic.' If you say I'm an exotic coach, that's fine. I have no problem with any other adjective you use. But if you say I'm not a winning coach, then I have a problem."

Marketing agent Mike Ornstein says that Michael Crabtree has enough money from endorsement deals to survive. "He has made over 750 grand in marketing dollars," Ornstein told the Sports Business Journal. Crabtree was selected with the tenth overall by the 49ers, but has not come to terms with the team on a new contract. "It is not that he doesn't want to play, but he is not under the gun to," Ornstein added.

Mike Singletary didn't question the play-calling of coordinator Jimmy Raye on San Francisco's last drive in Minnesota. It was a three-and-out that left Brett Favre with enough time, 1:29, to mount a stirring comeback that gave the Vikings a pulsating 27-24 victory. "It's very easy to sit here and look at a game and say 'Why did you do that?' " Singletary said Monday. "The bottom line is he (Raye) called the things he called yesterday because they made sense. You call plays because you believe they'll work. "I'm not going to get into 'We should have done this.' We did it. It did not work."

San Francisco running back Frank Gore will miss three weeks with a strained right ankle. The 49ers announced on Monday that the strain was revealed in an MRI. Gore injured the ankle on his only carry of the team's 27-24 loss to Minnesota on Sunday.

Joe Montana played the 1981 NFC Championship Game that ended with the 'The Catch' to Dwight Clark under the cloud of a credible death threat. "They told me right before the start of the game, or right at the start of the game," said Montana. "Somebody was going to try and shoot me during the game." Montana told author Gary Myers he thought about it a couple of times during the game, but as he said, "You are alone. There isn't a whole lot that could be done.'' As soon as the game was over, Montana took the ball and ran directly into the 49ers' locker room.

Brett Favre stunned the 49ers on Sunday, lifting the Vikings to a 27-24 win thanks to a 32-yard touchdown connection with Greg Lewis. Favre found Lewis in the back of the end zone with just two seconds left in regulation. Minnesota's new quarterback finished the game 24-for-46 with 301 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

49ers running back Frank Gore left the team's game against the Vikings on Sunday with a right ankle injury. The team says X-rays revealed no broken bones, but his return is doubtful. Gore had been bothered by the injury since the fourth quarter of San Francisco's win over Seattle in Week 2. He had just four yards on one carry against Minnesota.

Michael Crabtree reportedly almost took the 49ers' offer following the team's Week 1 upset over the Cardinals. However, the unsigned first-round pick is believed to have strengthened his resolve since he nearly caved. ESPN's Colleen Dominguez adds that a number of San Francisco's players no longer care if Crabtree joins the team.

It?s officially Autumn now, and the passing of the sun over the equator on its way to warm the Southern Hemisphere is very apropos for the NFL. After two weeks, some teams are feeling unnecessarily cold and need a change of season to break the bad weather. Others are blazing hot, but don?t have the water supply of talent to maintain such a scorching pace. Week 3?s in the NFL have a way of bringing equality and order back to the league. Equinox, the meteorological term for the sun being directly over the equator, is a really cool phenomenon. Strange things happen; you can balance an egg on its end. Strange things can still happen this weekend in the NFL too, but by and large this is the end of the flukiness. Last week?s forecast was 11-5, taking the overall season tally to 23-9. That gives me enough confidence to break out the power poll, which is indicated by the number in parentheses following the team name. Game of the Week San Francisco (15) at Minnesota (2): This game decides if it?s really time to drink the 49ers-flavored Kool Aid, or if it?s just some funky punch that starts out tasty, then leaves you hunched over the toilet begging for water. Minnesota is a major test, and the Vikings are licking their chops at the prospect of playing a team that might actually beat them after the appetizers of Cleveland and Detroit are now done. A confident Niners team is starting to believe in what Coach Singletary is preaching, and a road win over a marquee team (see: Favre, Brett) is a great bulls eye. I think the Vikings defense is the key here. Their run defense hasn?t been as stout as in previous seasons, but it?s still quite good. Their completely underrated secondary has the potential to blank out the 49ers passing game when paired with the pass rush. Joe Staley & Co. will have to be at the top of their games all day up front for San Fran, and I just don?t see them being able to sustain long drives. Frank Gore can hit the home run, but can he hit two or three again? Brett Favre is salivating at seeing Dre Bly (who has been quite good so far) playing corner for the 49ers, and I like how the Vikings pass offense has been given time to grow up before really needing to play sharp. I just don?t see San Francisco being able to outscore the Vikings, not in Minnesota with that defense. Vikings 27, 49ers 10. Atlanta (7) at New England (12): One of the 282 ESPN football analysts (Cris Carter maybe?) stated a very keen observation regarding Tom Brady. He said Brady looked like he was playing afraid to get hit, that he doesn?t trust his knee yet. I went back and watched the game (thanks to NFL.com) and while I see merit in that point, it looked more to me to be a function of a lousy offensive line and perhaps the worst RB package in the league. They clearly missed Wes Welker, and they lack anyone else at WR that can take coverage off Randy Moss. In many ways, that?s worse than Brady being a little skittish. The Falcons defense has played well, though they will miss rookie DT Peria Jerry, who immediately became their best run stuffer. This game is going to be decided on whether the Patriots OL can take care of business against John Abraham & Co. I don?t really see how they?ll do it, but I trust Bill Belichick enough that they?ll somehow find a way. Make no mistake: if this New England team makes the playoffs with this porous line and underwhelming rushing attack, this is the greatest coaching job Belichick has ever done. Atlanta is (gulp!) the better overall team, but New England somehow wins 28-27. Green Bay (11) at St. Louis (32): You might be wondering why I have St. Louis rated dead last, what with Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Kansas City all just completely lousy football teams. Why are the Rams the worst? All those other teams have at least one thing that they do fairly well, something that you can point to and say, ?They can win a game or two because of that.? The Rams, alas, have no such visible strength at this time. Maybe Steven Jackson makes that statement look stupid and runs wild, and maybe the Packers league-worst OL is a great way for the Rams anemic pass rush to get going. Maybe my 4-year old son will grasp thermodynamics, too. Green Bay cruises 27-10. Cleveland (31) at Baltimore (1): I firmly believe that one of the worst sports clich?s is the guaranteed victory. It was cool for Joe Namath and Mark Messier all those years ago, but now it?s just tired and meaningless. Having said all that, I?ll guarantee you that Baltimore beats Cleveland. This is my survivor fantasy game pick of the week. Ravens 30, Browns 3. Tennessee (19) at New York Jets (4): I love Jets fans. The complete lack of long-term memory and the inevitable devastation that comes along with it is setting up like a beautiful disaster. Right now Coach Ryan is the toast of the town with his bombastic style, his aggressive defense, his breath of fresh air following Eric Mangini. Flash back a couple of years to Mangini?s first season, when his low-key intensity and hyperactive attention to minute details were lauded and he could do no wrong. Much like Mangini?s stint, I think Ryan is going to have some very good short-term success (probably better), and Jets fans would be wise to savor every last drop while it lasts. When it starts to go, it?s going to be ugly and sudden. The milk gets spoiled a little this week by the desperate Titans, who are simply too good to be 0-3. These Jets have staying power though, and the Titans secondary has to play better to pull this one off. Tennessee 24, New York 16. Jacksonville (25) at Houston (13): I?m very interested to see how the Texans handle their emotional comeback win against the reviled Titans last week. The Jaguars pass rush has been dreadful, and last week proved that when Matt Schaub gets time he can eviscerate any secondary. It?s about time for Steve Slaton to break out against a JAX team that sure seems to be playing uninspired ball for a lame-duck-to-be coach. Texans 34, Jaguars 20. Kansas City (28) at Philadelphia (21): This year?s Eagles are finding the injury bug that plagues Seattle last season. McNabb is iffy, Westbrook is chronically questionable, their line is testing the bottom end of their depth already, and they?re calling Crazy Eddie for more hot tubs. This is a good week for them to get mentally healthy, and I think Michael Vick?s debut gives them a spark at home. The Chiefs are game but just aren?t very talented in too many spots, and Matt Cassel is clearly not right yet. Eagles 31, Chiefs 10. Washington (22) at Detroit (30): My fellow Lions fans, this is the week! Seriously. As long as the turnover margin isn?t worse than -1, Detroit will break the streak at home against a Redskins team that appears thisclose to mutinying their coach. Dan Snyder might make Jim Zorn walk the plank, or at least walk back to Ashburn VA, after Detroit pulls the 20-17 stunner. New York Giants (6) at Tampa Bay (29): These are the two teams that Dallas has played this year, and just a quick study of those two games tells you all you need to know about this one. Tampa ran the ball well and played about as well as they could, but couldn?t pressure Romo, couldn?t cover in the back end, and got drubbed. The Giants struggled running the ball, extensively used their #6 WR, had an injury-ravaged secondary, got outplayed by a talented Cowboys unit...and still won the game. In short, Tampa?s ?A? game wasn?t even close to Dallas, while the Giants ?C? game was good enough to beat the Cowboys. Expect a good fantasy week for Eli Manning in a 36-13 Giants rout. Chicago (14) at Seattle (17): Matt Hasselbeck?s gimpy status seals the deal for this pick. I was already leaning towards the Bears, as their rejuvenated pass rush is a major mismatch against a Seahawks OL that has not played well. Jay Cutler might have found a new Eddie Royal in rookie Johnny Knox, though I?m still waiting for a Bears wideout to make an actual block on a running play. Still, the work in progress keeps working, and a nice road win over a Seattle team that doesn?t appear to have found any identity keeps it progressing. Chicago 28, Seattle 17. Denver (23) at Oakland (24): The fact that Denver could open up a 2-game lead in the AFC West by winning here just blows my mind. I think water finds its level here for the Broncos, and I bolster that assertion with how Oakland got thoroughly outplayed last week and still found a way to win. The X factor here is the vastly upgraded Denver secondary, which has perhaps the best 1-3 CB package in the league and a rejuvenated Brian Dawkins rubbing off his savvy to his mates. Raiders fans kvetch about JaMarcus Russell?s inaccuracy, but in this game it might actually be a positive; he?s so wildly off that his errant throws aren?t going to get picked off. Raiders win in the Black Hole 20-17. Indianapolis (5) at Arizona (16): You cannot get a more divergent experience as a defense than what the Colts are getting here. Going from Miami to Arizona--on a short week no less--is as antonymic and difficult as it gets. All that time spent on the field hurts them this week, and those chageups that Chad Pennington threw to Ted Ginn are now laser-armed Kurt Warner gunning to Larry Fitzgerald. And Anquan Bolden. And Steve Breaston. The Cardinals defense has played very well for 6.5 quarters this year and can bring pressure from multiple sources. I would never bet against Peyton Manning, who proved Monday night that he?s the best QB of my football lifetime, which dates back to the late 70s. But there are just too many ways that Arizona can win this game. Cardinals 37, Colts 33. New Orleans (3) at Buffalo (27): I have a sneaking suspicion that Buffalo?s defense slows down Drew Brees & Co. more than expected, but I still think New Orleans finds enough points to outscore a Buffalo OL that is signing guys off Green Bay?s practice squad just to have enough bodies to practice. There is upset potential here but that?s more for the gamblers than the straight-up players. Saints 30, Bills 20. Miami (20) at San Diego (10): In two games this year Shawne Merriman has as many tackles as you and I. I?m not suggesting that going off steroids has anything to do with it--he is coming back from a bad knee injury--but I?m not not suggesting it either. Whatever they need to do to get Merriman his mojo back, they?d better do it quickly. I?m incredibly frustrated by San Diego once again sputtering out of the blocks, because it makes forecasting their games near impossible. On paper they should roll here, as much as anyone can roll over a ball-control team with a decent pass defense. But the Chargers are prone to sleepwalking through too many stretches. Miami tweaked the Wildcat just enough to make it a legit weapon again, and Ricky Williams is running with confidence and attitude. Still, I think home cooking and pride will carry San Diego here, but this would be my lowest value on confidence game picks for the week. Chargers 23, Dolphins 20. Pittsburgh (8) at Cincinnati (18): The early weeks of the season are great for chicken/egg arguments, and last week?s Bengals game brought up a great one. Did Antwan Odom get six sacks because he has dramatically improved, or was it the Packers? patchwork line that led to an awesome performance? No disrespect to Mr. Odom, who has played very well in both Bengals games this year, but he was greatly aided by playing against a sub-par backup guard playing tackle, so the egg wins despite it being a pretty tasty chicken. This week Odom gets another team that struggles in pass protection, and with the way the Cincy secondary has been playing, he and his mates could make a very long afternoon for Big Ben. I like the matchups for the home team, and the Bengals pull off the surprise. Cincinnati 29, Pittsburgh 27. Carolina (26) at Dallas (9): Frequent emailer Jason Butchock presented a very well-conceived argument that the coach of the losing team here will not be employed come Thanksgiving. I wouldn?t go that far, but I?ll boldly proclaim that the coach that loses this game will not be coaching the team next year. Of course, the winning coach here is probably still feeling some flames under his chair too. The Carolina defense has been one of the biggest disappointments of the young season to me, and the Dallas offense is strong enough to continue that, even sans Barber. Jerry Jones gets his inaugural home win in his wondrous palace to himself, as the Cowboys run to a 33-17 win on Monday Night Football. Drinking in the Dorm Room Games 4-1 last week, taking the tally 10-5. Penn State 27, Iowa 13 Houston 41, Texas Tech 33 Virginia Tech 20, Miami 17, and ACC detractors should note that this is the third ranked opponent for each team, or exactly as many as the entire SEC East has played so far. California 30, Oregon 24 Clemson 17, TCU 16, thus ending any non-BCS school argument for the year. Well, except Houston?s...

San Francisco linebacker Takeo Spikes has offered a new perspective on rookie receiver Michael Crabtree's contract situation. "As players, nobody is against Michael Crabtree," Spikes said on The Monty Show on Sporting News Radio. "As players, we understand the business of the game because if you're fortunate enough to stay in it long enough you're gonna go through some disputes as to whether or not you're getting paid your value or you're underpaid, or whether or not there's a team that wants to pay you. Now, one thing I can say is that I know he has to handle his business..." The 49ers took Crabtree with the 10th overall pick. "...We feel as a whole that we would like to have him in because a guy with such great talent that he has, it deserves to be shown on Sunday, period. But from our aspect, though people ask, 'What are y'all going to do, what do you think?' ... well, from players it's hard to miss something you never had and so that's the way we see it. And until he comes here, we'll make adjustments. But other than that, it's about the guys right now that are in the locker room."