Frank Gore: ‘We ain’t worried about no Packers right now’

Frank Gore says he always watches “Monday Night Football,” but tonight he’ll have a special interest. “I’m going for Atlanta right now,” Gore said of tonight’s matchup between the host New Orleans Saints and the Falcons. If the Falcons win, the 49ers (12-3) will clinch the NFC playoffs’ No. 2 seed ahead of the Saints (currently 11-3).

Gore’s playoff forecast doesn’t yet include the top-seeded Green Bay Packers (14-1). Rather than watch the Packers’ rout of the Chicago Bears on Christmas night, Gore went to the Golden State Warriors home opener and didn’t even see any of the Packers’ highlights. “We ain’t worried about no Packers right now,” said Gore, referring to the 49ers’ immediate focus rather than any disrespect toward the Packers.

Even if the Saints don’t lose tonight to Atlanta — two NFC South teams who’ve already locked up playoff berths and are jostling for the division title — the 49ers can secure the No. 2 seed and a key first-round bye with a win Sunday at St. Louis.

“If New Orleans doesn’ tlose, we’ll go to St. Louis, try to get a ‘W’, lock up the second seed and get the bye week,” Gore said. “To play on our home field in our first (playoff) game, it will be big for us and I’m excited.”

In reflecting to Saturday’s 19-17 win at Seattle, Gore said the 49ers were confident they would rally after falling behind on a blocked punt and an ensuing Seahawks touchdown. He admitted that feeling didn’t exist in previous years and those miscues would doom the 49ers.

“Back in the day, after the blocked punt, everyone would have been like, ‘Oh man,’ ” Gore said. “Now it’s, ‘Let’s go get some points on the board.’
“We just know we’re a good team. We don’t panic at all,” Gore added. “When things don’t go right, we tell ourselves we need to settle down and make plays. … I felt we were going to win the game. We wanted a touchdown, it didn’t come to that but we wanted the points.



(mercurynews.com)