High praise!!!!

High praise for Niners' Strickland

Tom FitzGerald, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 2, 2008

(12-01) 21:24 PST -- Playing as a nickel back and then as a regular cornerback after Walt Harris left with a hamstring injury, Donald Strickland had "an outstanding game for us" against Buffalo on Sunday, coach Mike Singletary said.

Strickland was credited with two tackles and two successful pass defenses, as he and the rest of the 49ers' secondary generally covered the Bills' receivers tightly.

On the Bills' last-gasp play, a 4th-and-15 from their 14 with 1:13 left, Stickland made sure that Marshawn Lynch went nowhere after catching a short pass.

The Bills were held without a touchdown at home for the first time in nearly five years.

Post position: Though Bills kicker Rian Lindell twice banged field-goal attempts off the left upright - after having made 53 straight tries from inside 40 yards - Joe Nedney pounded a 50-yarder on his only attempt.

"Joe will kind of stand right next to you and (you ask), 'Joe, is this your range?' " Singletary said. "Nine times out of 10, he'll just kind of look at you and say, 'Yep.' "

The time-zone factor: The 49ers were the first West Coast team to win in the Eastern time zone this season. But are body clocks really a factor? East Coast teams are 10-5 in the Pacific time zone, indicating that the disparity is more a matter of talent than location.

Davis' penalty: Tight end Vernon Davis disputed the pass-interference call against him that wiped out his apparent 37-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

"It wasn't a good call at all," he said. "I didn't touch him (Bryan Scott). I didn't extend my arm or anything. I just waited for the ball, and maybe it looked like my arm pushed off." He amended his remarks to call it "a little bit of contract."

Davis was fortunate he didn't draw another penalty for taking off his helmet in anger after that call.

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