Still looking for that elusive silver lining in the San Francisco 49ers’ 47-7 loss against the Cardinals in Arizona, and something to look forward to with the unbeaten Green Bay Packers coming to Santa Clara this weekend?
Gaze Down Under . . . again.
Jarryd Hayne may have had only one touch, but the Australian rugby league convert, who also had the fifth-best-selling jersey in the NFL last week, made it count.
His 37-yard punt return down the right sideline late in the first half set the Niners up at the Arizona 19-yard line, and three plays later they had their lone score, a 12-yard run on a zone-read option by quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
In fact, Hayne was only one defender away from taking it to the house.
“I am trying to make the most of my opportunities as they come,” Hayne said. “I am trying to do what is best for the team. I had my opportunity and I wanted to make the most of it.
“I lost my feet at the end of the run and I tried to stay up. Every week I am just living and learning.”
And getting more intriguing.
Or, as fellow Aussie Andrew Bogut of the NBA defending champion Golden State Warriors said at his team’s media day: “It’s the feel-good story of the year, in my opinion.”