GLENDALE, Ariz. — No need for Mike Singletary to pull down his pants at halftime and flash his backside. No cause for dramatic gestures or emphatic messages that leave the new coach explaining and defending his actions.

Fifteen days after Singletary's provocative demonstrations made headlines around the globe, it appears the interim head coach has the collective ear of the 49ers.

The 49ers could not have played any harder, or with any more heart, than they did in a pulsating, penalty-laden 29-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

The 49ers seen by the national TV audience looked nothing like the hot mess of a squad last seen being humiliated in a 21-point loss to underdog Seattle on Oct. 26 at Candlestick Park. Those Niners didn't seem to know what they wanted, or where they were headed. They showed up, goofed up and eventually curled up into the fetal position.

These 49ers come to play, as if they believe in what they're doing.

They still haven't figured out how to pressure the quarterback and they still lack a game-changing receiver — though Jason Hill made a spirited bid. They still can't pressure the opposing quarterback. And they still have Shaun Hill, methodical and functional at his best but hardly a game-breaker, at quarterback.

Hill played relatively well most of the way, lofting a gorgeous touchdown pass to Josh Morgan early in the second quarter and zipping a bullet on which Vernon

Davis made a spectacular catch for a touchdown late in the quarter. It was all good stuff, exactly the kind of game management Singletary had requested.

Until the game was on the line.

Hill's fumble allowed Arizona to cut the margin to 24-23 early in the fourth quarter. The first of two interceptions thrown by Hill in the final quarter led directly to Arizona's go-ahead touchdown.

And yet, this evening was encouraging for the 49ers. Highly encouraging. This was the kind of game that helps develop the soul of a team in search of one.

The 49ers entered a hostile place where the Cardinals haven't lost since last November — when they were defeated in overtime by Trent Dilfer and the 49ers — and exchanged blows with the best team in the division.

"We had to scrape and fight for everything we got," Arizona Coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

The Cardinals, with their assortment of offensive weapons, are the worst kind of matchup for the 49ers defense.

Kurt Warner is having a phenomenal year and carved up the 49ers just as effectively as he has most other teams, passing for 328 yards.

But the 49ers defense gave the offense a chance to win it. Offense gave the defense an opportunity to win it.

Though the length of the Singletary era has yet to be determined, the possibility of it extending beyond this season became greater Monday night.

The 49ers are not remotely close to championship-caliber. They have miles to go before they can contend for a whiff of the postseason

But for one game, with the world watching, the Niners looked to be crawling in the right direction.