Alas, a little divine intervention may be necessary after yet another Monday Night debacle.

Sorry, but this heart-wrenching loss to the San Francisco 49ers wasn't as bad as that meltdown against the Chicago Bears last year, the one that made Dennis Green a national buffoon.

It was worse.

It was worse because the new-look Cardinals did so many things right. It was worse because this was supposed to be the beginning of a new era. It was worse because the Cardinals rallied with great gusto, stunning the locals on a night when they honored the late, great Bill Walsh.

It was worse because no one expected the Cardinals to beat the Bears last season, and because the Cardinals really need to beat the 49ers this season. And it was worse because it all seemed so different for a while.

The Cardinals ran the football. They played sturdy defense. They ran the football some more. They played good, solid, bloody-their-noses football, eschewing excess downfield passes and reflecting the play-it-smart mentality of new coach Ken Whisenhunt.

And then, the Cardinals coughed it up at the end. Just like they always do.

"Obviously a disappointing finish," Whisenhunt said.

Needing a touchdown, the 49ers drove the length of the field. Needing to scoop up a fumble in the end zone to preserve a victory, Eric Green came up with air. And moments later, the 49ers were celebrating once again.

Counseling, anyone?

"We never quit believing, and never stopped knowing that we were going to pull it out and win the game," 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said. "I am so proud of this team."

For good reason, Cardinals' fans have been unusually quiet in the weeks leading up to Monday's game. There's been very little chirping, or giddy predictions of a playoff berth. The apprehension surely stemmed from all the false starts in the past, and how this fan base was frequently burned by the optimism accompanying a new regime.

And, honestly, who wasn't thinking about last year's Monday night fiasco when Matt Leinart's first pass of the season ended up in enemy hands?

But from there, the Cardinals did something very unusual. Even though they fell behind, they did not ditch the game plan. They showed complex sets and formations, but made the game very simple. They ran the ball with conviction.

They gave it to Edgerrin James, who looks quick and nimble and poised for a huge year. They gave it to Marcel Shipp, one of the best change-of-pace, low-maintenance backups in the league. They snapped it directly to Anquan Boldin, and much more of that is welcome down the road. They even gave it to J.J. Arrington on 4th-and-2 (a really bad idea).

Either way, the net result was a team that had 91 yards rushing on 19 carries in the first half. By contrast, they threw the ball only 10 times. It was a notable development that spoke well of Whisenhunt, and the immediate future.

After all, it's not that all good teams run the football. It's that running the football is what makes teams consistently good. With a strong rushing game, a football team can rest its defense, milk the clock, protect a lead.

They played it really close to the vest on the Cardinals' final possession, allowing his defense to win the game with the game with one final stand.

And then the unthinkable occurred. Or was that the inevitable? After all, while good teams know how to run the football, good teams also know how to finish.