ARE THEY who we thought they were?

Well, the 49ers have been eliminated from the playoffs. After hopes of a ten win season and a playoff game, they go into the final two weeks playing for their first non-losing season since Mariucci was the head coach.

Now the question is – was this season another wasted year?

Not so fast. Sure, I, among other people, am disappointed. They let very winnable games slip through their hands against the Vikings, Texans, Titans, Colts and Seahawks, losing those 5 games by an average of 4.2 points a game. Even if they pull out 2 of those 5 games, they stand at 8-6 and just 1 game behind the Cardinals and tied with the Giants for the final wild card spot.

But they didn’t and they aren’t, so now all we can hope for is an 8-8 season and two first round draft picks. But this season, the team has improved quite a bit.

Under the Nolan era, there were some 7-9 seasons, but those teams were not nearly as competitive as this ‘09 version. A great indicator is the points scored vs. points allowed stat.

The team has also taken steps forward in many areas this season. The defense has played the best it has in years, shown by our ability to stay in tight games. This defense held Peyton Manning to 18 points, including a trick play to score their only TD. They have scored more points in 14 games this year than they have in 2 of the past 4, and will easily pass their 2006 number of 298. And the first time since the team went into the tank, they have a plus in the point differential column, scoring 13 more points than they’ve allowed.

The past 4 years? Try negative 42, -145, -114, and -189. They have only given up 269 points this year, or just over 19 points a game, down over 5 points a game from the past 4 years average.

Another positive from 2009 was the development of playmakers. We all knew Frank Gore was a solid back and that Patrick Willis could tackle anything, but going into this year that was about all the team had. This year, the team finally got returns from sixth overall pick Vernon Davis.

- Davis, once whispered as a bust, has burst onto the scene, tying the NFL lead with 11 TD receptions and third in yardage among Tight Ends.

- Michael Crabtree, despite a depressing holdout that lasted deep into the season, has stepped on the field and shown a lot of promise. I can only imagine what a full offseason of training camp and a strong understanding of the playbook could do for his production.

- Dashon Goldson, while inconsistent, has shown he can hit, is rangy and might be a strong addition to the safety position, even though he might be ticketed for strong safety once the team finally decides signing Michael Lewis wasn’t the best decision given his inability to cover speedy receivers over the top, something of an important skill for a SAFETY.

- Ahmad Brooks has shown an ability to get after the quarterback, adding a little pass rush to a unit that sorely needs it.

- Aubrayo Franklin has anchored down the defensive line, which after years of drafting and free agency signings, has become a strength of the team.

Last, the team has gotten the best quarterback play it has seen since Jeff Garcia was under center. There has been a lot of controversy about Alex Smith, but this is the best he has played his entire career. While he has had some up and down games, at this nine game stretch was played out over 16 games, he’d be around 28 touchdowns for the year – a far cry from Smith’s career high of 16. If he remains the starter in 2010, he will get the second year in an offensive system, something he has never had. He will enter the year with the most weapons he’s ever had on offense, and in the last year of a contract in which he’ll want to prove his worth. He’ll have a full training camp with these young players, and it also allows the Niners, who will have 3 picks in the first 45(or so) in this year’s draft, will be able to focus on getting speedier in the secondary, getting another pass rusher, and strengthening an offensive line that needs at least two starters.

The best part about 2010 will be continuity. The staff should remain intact, and this can only help the players refine their skills, rather than learn yet another system. And I am not the only one who thinks this is a good thing.

So I would say, in all, this team took leaps and bounds this year. There is still work to be done – the team needs to be more disciplined when it comes to penalties, and needs more focus on completing third downs. But with a solid draft, maybe a couple smart free agency signings and this team could be knocking the Cardinals off for a 2010 NFC West crown.