Frank Gore’s Season Likely Over With Hip Injury

The San Francisco pulled within one game of the NFC West lead with a win over the Arizona Cardinals Monday night, but at 4-7 still faced a tough road to the playoffs.

With the news that Frank Gore will likely miss the rest of the season with a broken hip (according to Jason La Canfora), that road just went from having a few potholes and a slight incline to one of those roads in Bolivia carved into the side of a mountain with no guardrails.

Troy Smith has been good and has shown flashes since becoming the starting quarterback, and Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis continue to be dangerous receiving threats, but Gore was the unquestioned leader and focus of the 49ers’ offensive attack.

With Gore going down, veteran Brian Westbrook and rookie Anthony Dixon will likely split carries.

Westbrook had a game to remember after rushing for 136 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries, but that was likely more of a product of a bad Cardinals’ defense rather than a LaDainian Tomlinson-like resurgence.

To finish off the season, the 49ers will face the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams, and finish off with game two against the Cardinals.

If they want to win the West, they’ll likely have to finish 4-1 with that one loss coming to the Chargers (an AFC opponent) and hope for the Rams to slip up.

Or, in other words, don’t get your hopes up, Niners fans.