Don’t underestimate how much the 49ers have grown up over the last month or so.

With the NFC West champions set to finish off a terrific regular season this morning in St. Louis by playing for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs — and a week off — the Niners have stamped themselves ready for whatever the postseason tournament can throw at them.

The team’s evolution has kicked into high gear since their first taste of the postseason’s exacting demands for execution on Thanksgiving night. In losing to the Baltimore Ravens, who play their best football at home, the 49ers struggled throughout, but held together long enough to have a chance in the fourth quarter, only to come up short.

Three weeks later, this time on their home turf, they beat up a Pittsburgh Steelers team playing with its quarterback hobbling. The victory not only promoted the Niners as playoff-worthy to a “Monday Night Football” audience, their second-half performance signaled a big step forward.

Last week, in Seattle, this team posted what I consider their most impressive victory of the season — on the road, against a Seattle Seahawks team that for a month had been playing as well as any team in the league.

The Niners not only overcame the dagger of a fourth quarter blocked punt, but they did so thanks to the high point of Alex Smith’s season.

Smith capped off a clutch second half with a completion to Michael Crabtree for a 41-yard gain that led to the eventual game-winning field goal. The completion was as big-time a throw as Smith has ever made, perfectly placing the ball between two defenders along the left sideline.

Coach Jim Harbaugh recognizes his team’s growth the last two weeks, calling the games against Pittsburgh and Seattle “previews to what the playoffs would be like. That pressure to perform. Both teams with a lot at stake. That’s what the playoffs would be like.”

Even better, Harbaugh sees these 49ers compiling “a lot of little reasons that a lot of people think are the minutia that aren’t important that add up to make all the difference.”

“Our guys continually do the little things,” Harbaugh said. “And they stack on each other and they build on each other. And lo and behold, you win games in high-pressure situations, or find ways to do enough things right to win games and get better. And those things lead to wins. Those things, enough of those things, lead to championships.”

A month ago, reaching the playoffs was an accomplishment. Now, the Niners have stamped themselves worthy of an ultimate goal far beyond that. And that’s some big-time growing up.

Tim Liotta is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to The San Francisco Examiner. Email him at tliotta@sfexaminer.com.

Despite San Francisco’s impressive 12-3 record, the 49ers’ offense leads the league in only one category — protecting the football.

San Francisco hasn’t committed a turnover in its last four games and leads the league in fewest giveaways with 10. If the 49ers don’t commit a turnover in Sunday’s season finale at St. Louis, they will tie the NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season, set last year by New England.

The 49ers also lead the league with 36 takeaways, making their plus-26 turnover differential the NFL’s best. San Francisco ranks just 26th in the league in total offense, but that unit has contributed to the team’s successful formula by limiting mistakes and holding onto the ball.

The 49ers had a minus-1 turnover differential last season, when they committed 23 turnovers. The team’s skill players on offense are essentially the same as last year, but the big change has come in the methodology of first-year coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff that has transformed San Francisco into a contender after eight seasons without a winning record or playoff berth.

“There are other things that go into it other than, ‘Hey, guys, let’s just take care of the ball today,’” Harbaugh said Friday after his team’s final practice of the regular season. “There is scheme, there’s philosophy that goes in there. It’s the pride that the players have in protecting the football, understanding situational football.”

Harbaugh said the 49ers have emphasized that scheme since the team’s first practice in July, and it certainly has showed in the results. San Francisco has not committed a turnover in its past 18 quarters since quarterback Alex Smith threw an end-zone interception in the final seconds before halftime of a Thanksgiving Day loss at Baltimore.

Smith has been the catalyst behind San Francisco’s low turnover rate. The seventh-year pro from Utah has thrown 415 passes this season but only five have been intercepted, the fewest of any starting quarterback in the league.

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Around the league

Dolphins • Running back Reggie Bush, a 1,000-yard rusher this year for the first time in his six-year career, will miss Sunday’s season finale against the Jets with a knee injury he suffered last week against New England.

Raiders • Receiver Jacoby Ford made it through a third straight practice without any setbacks and expects to play in Oakland’s regular-season finale against San Diego. Ford hasn’t played since injuring his left foot during Oakland’s win in San Diego on Nov. 10.

Packers • Green Bay will be without three key players on offense against Detroit. Running back James Starks (knee/ankle), receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb (groin) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee), who has missed the last two games, won’t play in the regular-season finale. Coach Mike McCarthy would not say Friday whether quarterback Aaron Rodgers will sit out.

Patriots • Tom Brady is listed as “probable” on New England’s injury report for its regular-season finale against Buffalo. An injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder limited Brady’s participation in practice Friday for a second straight day after he sat out practice on Wednesday.

The San Francisco 49ers are having quite the year. They have the NFL’s top-ranked rush defense, are number-one overall in points allowed (13.5 Pts/G), and lead the league in takeaways with 36. As for the offense, Alex Smith finally appears to be coming into his own as an NFL quarterback with the help of Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Frank Gore has rushed for 1,000 yards for the fifth time in his seven-year career, and Vernon Davis, while he may not be targeted as much, is still putting up good numbers with a 11.4 yards-per-catch average.

In fact, you could say the team is having a break-out year and that is exactly how I would choose to describe it. Especially considering the roster has not really changed much from the 2010 or even the 2009 season.

Now that the season is coming to a close -at least the regular season – the Pro Bowl selections have been announced and the 49ers are tied with the New England Patriots for sending the most players (eight) to their respective leagues’ teams.

The 49ers will be sending Frank Gore, Dashon Goldson, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, Carlos Rogers, Joe Staley, David Akers, and Andy Lee. Four of those players have been elected to start – Willis, Rogers, Staley, and J. Smith – and several 49ers were named as alternates for the NFC team.

If anything the 49ers should be honored that so many of them were selected to the team. This is the most players the 49ers have sent to the Pro Bowl since 1994 and 1995 when they sent 10 players each year. And most of the players that were selected came from the defensive side of the ball where the 49ers have been playing strong all year.

As a fan I have to be completely satisfied with the amount of players that were sent. I know that not all players who may deserve a nod from our favorite teams may get to go. As for the 49ers, I really think that two more players should have been selected. NaVorro Bowman, who was actually named as an alternate, and rookie Aldon Smith, who leads the team with 14 sacks, should have easily made the squad. But as I said, I know not every player can be selected and A. Smith is still in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

It has been so long since the 49ers have been able to send a large, quality group of guys to the Pro Bowl. Seeing the re-emergence of such a storied football franchise brings back plenty of great memories from the 49ers of the 1980s and their Super Bowl victories. Hopefully the 49ers will be too busy preparing for the Super Bowl to attend the Pro Bowl in 2012.

David is co-founder of wrapupp sports blog where they post fresh content daily and present sports blogs and sports opinions – all with a West Coast bias. Growing up in the Bay Area, David is a huge supporter of all the local sports teams; the Giants, Athletics, Warriors, Sharks, 49ers, and Raiders. His one fault, admittedly, as many of his friends and family would say, is his love for the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Magic Johnson was his favorite basketball player and he fell in love with the team. He chalks it up to, “Not knowing any better”. Now his love for sports has turned just as academic as it is intuitive and he follows most all sports all over the nation.

You can follow David on Twitter: @officialwrapupp

Sources:

NFL.com. NFL Stats: Team and Player by Position. NFL 2011.

49ers.com. Eight 49ers Named to 2012 Pro Bowl. NFL 2011

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Oakland Raiders’ Season Comes Down to Week 17: Fan’s Take

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The 49ers’ winning season got a little sweeter Tuesday, as eight players were selected to the Pro Bowl, the most from any NFC team and tied with the New England Patriots for most in the NFL.

Linebacker Patrick Willis, running back Frank Gore, defensive tackle Justin Smith, kicker David Akers and punter Andy Lee each make a return to the game, while safety Dashon Goldson, cornerback Carlos Rogers and tackle Joe Staley were selected for the first time.

“It’s an awesome thing to have some friends there,” Lee said. “Hopefully we won’t be there, and we’ll be in the Super Bowl.”

Frank Gore’s third selection comes in a season in which he set the 49ers’ franchise records for career rushing yards, currently at 7,616, and total 1,000-yard seasons with five. It’s also a season he felt he had something to prove after missing five games in a disappointing 2010.

“Coming off my injury, I was hungry and I wanted to show a lot of people that I will be back and able to play this game like I have before,” he said.

Credit for the turnaround by the team and by individual players has been given all year to coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff for changing the culture of the a franchise that had not had a winning record since 2002.

“As a team, I feel that we’ve always had the talent,” Gore said. “Now, we have the right guys in front of us who can lead the way.”

Rogers echoed Gore’s sentiment.

“Once you add winning to it and then the season that I’m having and the coaching staff and ownership, all that plays a part,” he said. “This is the most fun I’ve had in my seven years playing.”

Rogers was ushered out of the Washington Redskins organization after six years, and said coming to a new team gave him all the motivation he needed.

“That makes it a lot better, especially coming to a team that it’s your first year on the team — it’s your only year on the team — and to have a season like that, not knowing what’s going to come out of it,” he said, “you want to have a really good year and try and impress your team and let them know they didn’t make a mistake with that pick.”

Willis becomes the first 49er to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons, and ranks second on the team with 115 tackles despite missing the past three games with a hamstring injury. He has also set a career high in forced fumbles, fumbles recovered and passes defended while leading the stingiest defense in football.

“My hat goes off to this team and what we’ve done so far,” he said, “but I know it’s not the end of what we’re trying to do.”

In addition to the eight starters, 10 other 49ers were selected as alternates.

bmartin@sfexaminer.com

The San Francisco 49ers will close out the 2011 regular season with two games against NFC West opponents before preparing for the playoffs. Om December 24, they will play on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in a game that is more difficult than it looked on the schedule weeks ago.

San Francisco is coming off of a big win at home on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers where they dominated from start to finish. San Francisco is a very good, disciplined team and will need to play that way to leave Seattle with a victory. While Seattle’s record does not look impressive, they present one of the most difficult places for an opponent to play on the road. Seattle plays very well at home and they have an excellent crowd behind them.

Even with the home field advantage, it’s unlikely to be enough in this game. If San Francisco continues to limit their turnovers, Seattle is simply not good enough to stay with San Francisco for four quarters. The 49er offense has become more balanced as the season goes on and should have no problem moving the ball and scoring against Seattle. If Alex Smith can play turnover free football, San Francisco should continue their winning ways in week 16.

Seattle has played much better of late behind an improved running game led by Marshawn Lynch. The problem for the Seahawk offense is that nobody runs the football against San Francisco. San Francisco has not allowed a rushing touchdown all season and their defense is just getting more and more impressive every week. Fans can also be excited that middle linebacker Patrick Willis is likely to return to the lineup this week. Fans should have no doubt that this is a defense capable of carrying San Francisco deep into the playoffs.

At this point, San Francisco fans are ready to move past their last two divisional games and begin the playoffs. Hopefully the team can use these games to get even better and prepare themselves for a deep playoff run. This team is certainly talented enough to go far in the playoffs and they have proved that so far this season. At 11-3, San Francisco is still playing for playoff seeding and should get another victory to move them even closer to a first round bye.

Prediction: 49ers 24, Seahawks 13

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and grew up in Northern California rooting for the 49ers teams led by Joe Montana and Steve Young. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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