Why our offense will be better this season

Originally posted by fryet:
Reasons it can be better:

• Kaep has more time to develop his skills
• OL is young and hasn't peaked yet
• Our new backup TE certainly can't drop more passes than Delanie

Reasons it can be worse:

• best receiver is on IR
• the rest of the receivers are aging, unproven, or coming off of injury
• Frank Gore is a year older
• Our new backup TE is a rookie and may not block as well as Delanie

Agreed. We averaged about 29 points a game the past 10 games including post season (and 24 prior). That would put us 3rd (464 PF) behind New England (557) and Denver (481) and slightly ahead of New Orleans (461). So we should be realistically, in the top 5 offenses of the NFL with a few stinkers thrown in there from time to time (Seattle, Rams, Giants, Vikings, etc.).

To expand:

• We'll see a more "diverse" offense this year with hopefully some outlets and better progression reading vs. the one-receiver-option offense we saw last year.
• Hunter is a dynamic runner at destroying teams on the perimeter - With him back to full strength, it absolutely opens up the inside game for Gore. With James, he can be used in the Sproles-fashion in a variety of formations, mostly from the Q.
• Roman is the key again - We have a TON of talent and a number of weapons. Can he game plan better to start games, avoid the W-W-L formula, can he get everyone (esp. the playmakers) involved, make in-game adjustments better, half time adjustments, etc.
• Weapons - get them the damn ball early and often! - B.J. Daniels, Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter/LaMichael James, Bruce Miller/Alex Debniak, X = A.J. Jenkins/Ricardo Lockette Y = Quinton Patton/Kyle Williams Z = Anquan Boldin plus Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald and MarQueis Gray (H-back)
• Deep threat - do we have one? Last year our offense was predicated on the deep threat clearing 2 DB's out for guys underneath (Crabtree/Manningham). If we can't establish one with Lockette, AJ or perhaps, Marlon Moore, DB's will creep closer and closer to the LOS. In this case, we'll see more between-the-hash-mark formations with both VD and McDonald on the field at the same time and more ground-and-pound with Gore inside and Hunter/James outside. Boldin would be our go-to WR and he may even be lined up in the slot on 3rd downs.

I think Celek is way ahead of the other 2 for the #3 TE spot

Originally posted by thl408:

I kind of like the identity of a punishing ground attack. With the ability for the passing attack to be so explosive, it kind of takes away from the ground game. Going 70 yards in 6 plays (using explosive passing plays) is much different than going 70 yards in 12 plays (with a punishing ground attack). I hope that the 49ers' continue to use the ground attack as their foundation and not get caught up with the sexy passing offense. Kap should not ever have more than 35 passing attempts per game, as a general statement.

I would say this depends on what the opposing defense is giving us. If they're stacking the box then punish them deep through the air. Whatever it takes.

With Jenkins, Lockette and Moore, the Niners have three potential deep threats who are 4.4 or faster guys. If just one of them emerges as a legitimate receiver, the Niners should be able to stretch the field because Kaepernick has got more than enough arm to hit them no matter how far down the field they run. That's got to be the way you been Sherman and Browner - I just think that if one of them gets by either of those corners and away from all that mugging, there's no way they can stay with them in a flat-out run.

Lattimore will be held out this year unless one of the first three go down(Gore, Hunter, James).

Originally posted by Frisco69ers:
I think Celek is way ahead of the other 2 for the #3 TE spot

Celek may be more polished than MarQueis Gray, but Gray's natural ability may tip the scale. I think Celek seems like a poor-mans Vance McDonald where Gray seems to present unique skills...

I think the offense will be better because of the evolution of the offense under Roman and Harbaugh.

Last year the 49ers were the first team in NFL history to have a 300 rushing/passing game. The also broke the franchise record in yards that game. Think of that, of all the games played with Young and Montana, the biggest offensive output was a game led by Alex Smith, a supposed "game manager". Now the offense is even more diverse and with Kaepernick, who had the best downfield passing accuracy in the league last year in his first year as a starter. This offense is going to evolve and refine, because last year with him they were still trying to figure out the best way to use his skills.

WCO + pistol+ power running game, teams are going to have a hard time having an answer for it, Crabtree or no Crabtree.

Originally posted by eonblue:

Originally posted by IdahoNiner:
I know everyone is worried about losing crabs, and i agree it sucks. But my personal perspective is this, even though he made huge strides this last season, he wasnt the best WR currently on the roster. That title belongs to Boldin. Boldin is not as old as everyone makes him out to be. We are not talking about a washed up randy moss here. Even with a healthy Crabtree. Crabtree probably would have benifited most from boldin however, because Boldin demands the double.

I know i am in the minority, but i was of the strong opinion very early that Boldin would be our leading WR this season. Obviously with Crabtree out now, that is almost a guarantee. Boldin and Kaep will be a match made in heaven.

1200+ 11+ TD's.

We just need the young guys to step up opposite him.

Crab was clearly better than Boldin.

"Clearly" how?

He has one 1,100 yard season and all of a sudden he is "clearly" better than a 10,000 yard career WR who has maintained a 13.2 career average? Boldin averaged 14.2 yards a reception last season and 15.6 the season before.

Crabtree was great last season no doubt, but i fail to see ho he was "clearly" better. The team is much better if we still had crabtree, but i dont see the huge drop off from him to Boldin, and the rest of the WR group is improved as well.

Originally posted by KowboyKiller:
2013

2+0+1+3 = 6

6: # of days it took God to create the universe

God: biggest niners fan in the universe

Universe: Very big

Championship: 49ers because of God

EPIC Post!

Remember, we got the guy who killed us on 3rd down with the sideline jumpball passes. Boldin is money on anything thrown on the sideline. Also we got a guy at TE who outweighs most LBs, who very easily could be our outsized Wes Welker on passes across the middle where the receiver catches pass and just sits down. We got a real burner in Patton, AJ has to be something special based on JH and Trent's talent picking. As noted kyle returns, and I HOPE roman finally uses LMJ like sproles and reggie bush used to be used, a RB out of the backfield who catches the pass, and then the D tries to stop him. Sproles and Reggie didn't get stopped often and my bet is LMJ wouldn't get stopped either. All those are incredibly big improvements from last yr, not to mention an A+ backup if Kap gets hurt running on scrambles. Hopefully, roman will remember that #85 is a very talented receiver, and not just a blocker. Altho we got a lot more ammunition, we still got the same roman....great some games, then there were games like the seahawks. Go figure. Don't know about mangini, but maybe, just maybe he will remind roman from time to time we have more than one receiver out there. If mangini does that, he is worth the fare to hire him.

Roman is good...no question. Problem is, roman could also be bad. And in the final 3 plays, that killed us. My beef with roman is he has way more talent to use than he actually did use last yr, and this yr it looks like we got more again. It doesn't do much good kept in cold storage.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
Remember, we got the guy who killed us on 3rd down with the sideline jumpball passes. Boldin is money on anything thrown on the sideline. Also we got a guy at TE who outweighs most LBs, who very easily could be our outsized Wes Welker on passes across the middle where the receiver catches pass and just sits down. We got a real burner in Patton, AJ has to be something special based on JH and Trent's talent picking. As noted kyle returns, and I HOPE roman finally uses LMJ like sproles and reggie bush used to be used, a RB out of the backfield who catches the pass, and then the D tries to stop him. Sproles and Reggie didn't get stopped often and my bet is LMJ wouldn't get stopped either. All those are incredibly big improvements from last yr, not to mention an A+ backup if Kap gets hurt running on scrambles. Hopefully, roman will remember that #85 is a very talented receiver, and not just a blocker. Altho we got a lot more ammunition, we still got the same roman....great some games, then there were games like the seahawks. Go figure. Don't know about mangini, but maybe, just maybe he will remind roman from time to time we have more than one receiver out there. If mangini does that, he is worth the fare to hire him.

Roman is good...no question. Problem is, roman could also be bad. And in the final 3 plays, that killed us. My beef with roman is he has way more talent to use than he actually did use last yr, and this yr it looks like we got more again. It doesn't do much good kept in cold storage.

Agree completely with your analysis, pasodoc9er.

I find it paradoxical that the coaching staff loves competition, yet is very conservative to play rookies that will make mistakes. Remember, Davis and Iupati started as rookies under Singletary. Navarro Bownan played behind Takeo Spikes in 2010, but came in second for total solo tackles in 2011 when he became a starter. And Vangio was reluctant to rest Smith and McDonald, resulted in the highest snap count for D line players in 2012.

Had Colin Kaepernick, AJ Jenkins or LeMichael James been drafted on rebuilding teams, they would have played as rookies, mistakes and all. And by playing, we would have a sense of what their potential truly is. When Kaepernick did get in a game, due to Alex's concussion, we were delighted to see his potential.

This year, due to long-term constraints on the salary cap, Eric Reid, and Vance McDonald will play as rookies. And due to Crabs going down, we will see Jenkins Patton, and perhaps Lockette.

None of these players have a pro portfolio that we can use to predict whether they will help or hurt us. Without prior game experience at positions of need, some guys on this forum fear for the worse. Call me an optimist, cause in 1981, Bill Walsh drafted 3/4s of a secondary: Ronnie Lott, Eric Wright, and Carlton Williamson, who played as rookies, jelled as a unit as the season progressed, and help win the 49ers first SB.

I believe that Eric Reid, Vance McDonald, LeMichael James, AJ Jenkins, and Quinton Patton will help us bring the SB back to San Francisco this year.

Originally posted by mebemused:

I believe that Eric Reid, Vance McDonald, LeMichael James, AJ Jenkins, and Quinton Patton will help us bring the SB back to San Francisco this year.

This would be fantastic! I believe Reid, McDonald and James will play a big role this year, but I'm not sure about whiich WR will step up. Would like both of them to push for a starting spot but wouldn't even be surprised if Williams started...or Manningham when he is ready. Just want all these weapons firing at full speed!

Originally posted by ninermedic:
We will definitely be worse

1. Harbaugh can't win the BIG GAME
2. Carlos Rogers thinks he is a starter
3. Nnamdi Asomugha is too old
4. Luke Keuchly is already better than Patrick Willis, who is too old
5. Anthony Davis isn't as good as Roger Saffold
6. Kap is too old to be a 3rd year quarterback and will never be a pocket passer and isn't clutch

and...7. Kap hasn't mastered the check-down pass

It will be better because if you give Harbaugh & Roman a whole off-season to get innovative with the system (with Kaep as the unquestioned starter), the entire league will taken by suprise!


So looking at last year's film will be futile.

I still don't know if I like mangini or not, but if his job is to make roman think more rather than becoming unfocused (last 3 plays of SB), then mangini is worth it. Talentwise, even without crbs, we have more O talent than last yr. On D, Dashon's tackles will be missed, but frankly having a great tackler at his position didn't help us much when he HAD to prevent a pass. I think his absence and Reid joining the backfield makes us a better team on D from the gitgo. Besides that, couldn't name all the DBs we have in camp...seems like two new ones every week. Straight up, I take Reid over Dashon any day. He hasn't played a down in nfl yet, but I like Reid for preventing passes way better than dashon. We have enough DBs to have that competition that coach always talks about. Maybe mangini was meant as competition for roman, who definitely had his days of brain fade. The NE game was a pistol. 4 days later the seahawks game stunk the place up. I don't think that is the kind of consistency Coach H had in mind. So maybe mangini helps there. Nothing wrong with roman on his good days. It was his bad days that killed us.