San Francisco's quarterback swap and resulting two game winning streak in real life had one 49er fan jumping into Madden to reboot the season, starting by dumping proven bust Alex Smith.
Mike Singletary and Jed York are still insane and delusional as all hell, respectively, but Derek B. runs this show, meaning they're 1,000 percent more competent and entertaining. Early in the preseason, Derek traded Alex Smith to the Bills for Ryan Fitzpatrick, as backup insurance. Given the starting job, Troy Smith struggles against the Seahawk. In the first half of the second game, Smith tosses three interceptions and is a woeful 5-of-17 for 68 yards.
Clearly at a crossroads for the season, Derek benches him for Fitzpatrick.
Frank Gore rips off a 62-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter and get the 49ers back in it. Nate Clements intercepts Saints QB Drew Brees on the next possession, but San Francisco wastes it when Gore fumbles running straight into the pile on the first play from scrimmage. New Orleans converts for the touchdown and a 31-24 lead, stretching it out to 38-24. Derek's Niners rally furiously, tying the game with two fourth-quarter touchdowns before losing 41-38 on a Saints field goal with 33 seconds left.
Derek now feels he has a quarterback controversy, following Fitzpatrick's 8-of-9, 193 yard and two touchdown performance in the second half. Never mind the guy he's replacing is supposedly his franchise's real life savior. I'd scold Derek for being so tendentiously fickle with the 49ers personnel decisions, but given how this bunch has been run over the past seven years, it's probably a coping mechanism. Anyway, good luck in the playoffs, Derek - the Madden playoffs. We know how the real season's probably going to end.
Here's the Box Score:
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Now the Kotaku Sports open thread commences with the sports TV highlights for today and tomorrow. All times are U.S. Eastern.
- College Football
College football: Matchups of ranked teams today all put the higher-ranked team on the road: No. 8 Ohio State at No. 21 Iowa on ABC at 3:30; No. 14 Virginia Tech at No. 24 Miami on ESPN at 3:30; No. 13 Arkansas at No. 22 Mississippi State at 7 p.m. on ESPN, and No. 9 Nebraska at No. 18 Texas on ABC 8, or other regional coverage. Army and Notre Dame, who managed to schedule a football game in a baseball stadium without gimping the rules, kicks off on NBC at 7 p.m. State and Carolina kicked off an hour ago. - Motorsports
This is it, gang. Denny Hamlin's in front of Jimmie Johnson by 15 points, and Kevin Harvick is lurking 46 points back. All three could be your NASCAR Sprint Cup champion when the season's final race runs Sunday, the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's 1 p.m. on ESPN. - NFL
Best bet this weekend is Indianapolis at New England, whose winner has appeared in the Super Bowl five out of the past seven years. 4:15 on CBS. Sunday night's game is the Giants at Eagles, 8 p.m. on NBC. Monday Night, ESPN takes the obligatory AFC West matchup of the 3-6 Broncos and the 4-5 Chargers. - NHL
The CBC's national games tonight: Everyone gets Toronto at Montreal in the 7 p.m slot., followed by Chicago at Vancouver at 10 p.m. - Soccer
The MLS Cup is Sunday, matching Colorodo versus Dallas in Toronto. It's on ESPN at 8:30. - Mixed Martial Arts
UFC 123 features Quinton "Rampage" Jackson versus Lyoto Machida. The preliminaries begin on Spike at 9; the main event is on pay-per-view at 10 p.m.
- NBA
The national game of the week is Sunday, pitting the 9-1 New Orleans Hornets against the 3-7 Sacramento Kings, 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Remember, you may send Game of the Week nominations to owenATkotakuDOTcom, and flag it "Box Scores" in the subject header. Please include your commenter handle for proper credit.