Singletary: 'Just another team'

San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary insisted Thursday that he felt no extra emotions after beating his former team.

Singletary guided the 49ers to a 10-6 win over the Bears in a mistake-filled game at Candlestick Park. After the game, he was more concerned about his new team than his old team.

"For the Bears to come in here today and for us to beat them, in all honesty, looking at our schedule and the next team that we hve, they'e just another team on that schedule," Singletary said. "I'm very thankful that we could beat them."

In some ways, Singletary said, the 49ers were coming of age.

"We hung in there, we fought, we didn't lose our poise," Singletary said. "We did some dumb things at times with the penalties. We have to continue to work to eliminate those because great teams don't do that, and that's what we're aspiring to be."

On their best day, the 49ers are a good team. That could bode problematic for the Bears, who will face several teams far more talented than San Francisco over the course of the next seven weeks.

The Bears will host the Philadelphia Eagles in their next game before traveling to Minnesota for a game against the NFC North leaders. A road game against the Baltimore Ravens also spells trouble, while the Green Bay Packers' visit to Soldier Field in December offers no promises.

Singletary admitted that he felt relieved to send the Bears home with a loss.

"I'd hate to use the word 'relief,' but trying to think of another one is kind of hard right now," he said.

-Tom Musick