SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Wander through the San Francisco 49ers' locker room and notice that something is missing.
The team is 9-2, leading the NFC West and looking like a good bet to reach the Super Bowl. But there is no sense of satisfaction.
Linebacker Mike Walter considers this a good thing.
"We've accomplished some things this year," he said. "But it doesn't end there. For me, it was a big deal to win all our division games. It was something we'd talked about.
"Once you get there, it's like . . . well, OK, now we've got to do this. That worked last week. Now we've got Philadelphia."
The 49ers are a virtual lock for the postseason and hold the inside track for the home-field advantage.