Bare-chested Joe Staley and Mike Iupati jumped up and down wearing only their shorts, each offensive lineman doing his best to will the Vikings to victory from afar. The 49ers -- sporting fresh red NFC West champion caps after beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-13 on Sunday -- crammed into the cozy confines of their locker room and became Minnesota's fiercest cross-country cheering section. When Blair Walsh's 29-yard field goal sailed through the uprights for the Vikings as time expired to give San Francisco a playoff bye, the tiny dressing area in Candlestick Park's south corner erupted into a crazy, celebratory scene.
