Why the 49ers offensive will experience an evolution this season

Originally posted by cciowa:
there have been excuses for roman since he prevented us from winning the super bowl, Jh has enabled and protected him since then. what makes you people actually think it will change this year? because we have a few more weapons? because we hopefully will have a full healthy group of wide outs? because ck will not be playing with a bad foot? as long as the head of the rattlesnake is JH and as long as roman is around as his fat little henchman, our offense will remain the same,, that means we will , for the second year in a row, have to find ways to win games and go deep in the playoffs despite roman. Some of you, including me, hope that JH would take over the play calling when and if roman predictably goes down retard road but you and i both know that will NEVER happen. To do so will force JH and his huge ego he has made a mistake and that is never going to happen in my opinion

Originally posted by defenderDX:
It all looks good on paper....... Paper...... How many times have we said similar things in prior years? Then we come to find out our talent doesn't get utilized to it's maximum potential and we end up yelling and screaming at the coaching staff, or Greg Roman. OR, injuries happen and it doesn't play out on paper like we initially expected it to during the corresponding offeseason.

Don't hold your breath! Not trying to be a debbie downer, but until I see what we have translate from the PAPER to the FIELD in GAMES I will not get too excited..

^^

I hate to admit it because it kinda means we're doomed... I keep hoping it will be different. I need to see proof of (big changes in offense) in the regular season before I get even a little bit wet

One point that's being missed is that defenses around the league are changing to deal with a pass first mentality. If they don't follow the crowd they have an advantage. They'll be pounding on defenses built to stop the pass. Pretty sure that's the mind set behind drafting these running backs who slip down the board, along with big powerful linemen.

Originally posted by Niners816:

Originally posted by RicetoYoung:
This is what I'm thinking too. I agree, we're a run first offense, but now with all these receivers our passing game CAN BE more effective when we need it. I just think Kap might've had a sophomore slump last year. (I know it was his 3rd year, but I mean as a starter )

Overall he didn't have the year most were hoping after the first game, but I dug alittle deeper in to his season and after crabs returned his numbers were really nice. They were the following:

5 games (with crabs)
61.7%
1160 yards (232 ypg)
7 tds
1 int
101.4 qb rating.

Now these 5 games were essentially playoff games for us and included games vs all three division opponents.

232 ypg avg with that qb rating and completion % is awesome, now if you consider a better OL, more WR threats, more quality RBs and Vance in his 2nd year as backup TE. I think we could/should see a spike

Originally posted by matt49er:

232 ypg avg with that qb rating and completion % is awesome, now if you consider a better OL, more WR threats, more quality RBs and Vance in his 2nd year as backup TE. I think we could/should see a spike

I'm hopefully, but if he could just replicate those numbers that a 3700 yard season. I would take no questions asked a 62% 3700 pass yard 25 td season with a passer rating in that 95-100 range.

Going back 3 pages to NinerGM's comment regarding the team staying healthy: No one commented upon it yet we all know it to be true. The team that stays the healthiest thruout the yr always has the best chance of winning.(talking about elite teams here). So once again that will be true, and it is more than passingly strange that as great a job as trent has done with backups for backups, the one spot not so well backed up is QB. If kap goes down, so does our season. Same for any team's starting QB. However, for a 3-4 week injury, high ankle for example, do we have an adequate backup for kap? Gabbert to me isn't in the same time zone as the rest of the team talentwise, and making him a project does nothing to protect us at QB this yr. Josh was an excellent signing, and at the very end as it turned out. I hope against the non elites he would be able to pinch hit and win those games, keeping us in the playoff picture.

As great as the talent is on this team, our weakest link at backup is...QB. Therefore, GM is correct when he says we need the team to stay healthy, but above all we need kap to stay healthy. Hence, the comment regarding kap not running as much as last yr will , IMO, be key...much as I like to see him run.

Lastly, the comment on how much passing we do really has to do with our first 2 downs, and 1st down especially. 60% running on 1st down just isn't going to cut it this yr, allowing us an average of 1.3 yrds/carry on 1st down into a box 8, 9 or sometimes 10. So that one stat, 60% passes on 1st down needs to drop to 50%, which will mean the D won't know whether we are running or passing. That is one stat that cannot be kept this yr, and it means we just pass / run 50/50. Ds can't tee off on our RBs that way with 10 guys on LOS. And our yds/carry will go up more than double or more by so doing.

We have to force the elites off the LOS with the box 8, which usually is more like 9 or 10. That one change, throwing half the time on first down will make Ds quit cheating on us...and subsequently make our running game more effective, esp against elites. And if they do stay in box 8, then we keep throwing until they back out of it. Seeing SEA play two entire games with 9 or 10 guys within a foot of the LOS got old, and begged for short passes to the slot...which we didn't do, IIRC, once last yr. Shameful, and that will stop this yr.

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:
Going back 3 pages to NinerGM's comment regarding the team staying healthy: No one commented upon it yet we all know it to be true. The team that stays the healthiest thruout the yr always has the best chance of winning.(talking about elite teams here). So once again that will be true, and it is more than passingly strange that as great a job as trent has done with backups for backups, the one spot not so well backed up is QB. If kap goes down, so does our season. Same for any team's starting QB. However, for a 3-4 week injury, high ankle for example, do we have an adequate backup for kap? Gabbert to me isn't in the same time zone as the rest of the team talentwise, and making him a project does nothing to protect us at QB this yr. Josh was an excellent signing, and at the very end as it turned out. I hope against the non elites he would be able to pinch hit and win those games, keeping us in the playoff picture.

As great as the talent is on this team, our weakest link at backup is...QB. Therefore, GM is correct when he says we need the team to stay healthy, but above all we need kap to stay healthy. Hence, the comment regarding kap not running as much as last yr will , IMO, be key...much as I like to see him run.

Lastly, the comment on how much passing we do really has to do with our first 2 downs, and 1st down especially. 60% running on 1st down just isn't going to cut it this yr, allowing us an average of 1.3 yrds/carry on 1st down into a box 8, 9 or sometimes 10. So that one stat, 60% passes on 1st down needs to drop to 50%, which will mean the D won't know whether we are running or passing. That is one stat that cannot be kept this yr, and it means we just pass / run 50/50. Ds can't tee off on our RBs that way with 10 guys on LOS. And our yds/carry will go up more than double or more by so doing.

We have to force the elites off the LOS with the box 8, which usually is more like 9 or 10. That one change, throwing half the time on first down will make Ds quit cheating on us...and subsequently make our running game more effective, esp against elites. And if they do stay in box 8, then we keep throwing until they back out of it. Seeing SEA play two entire games with 9 or 10 guys within a foot of the LOS got old, and begged for short passes to the slot...which we didn't do, IIRC, once last yr. Shameful, and that will stop this yr.

this is true for every team in the NFL that has a good QB. If your starting QB goes down, 99% of the time, you're screwed. With that said, I agree on paper right now, QB may be our weakest position in terms of backup. I do think though that Blaine Gabbert has a great chance of becoming as good or better than Alex Smith. Very similar stories/situations, Harbaugh wanted him in college, liked him when he came out in the draft and wanted him when he became available via trade. He works wonders w/QBs and the 49ers situation is light years ahead of whatever the F is going on in Jacksonville.

Originally posted by defenderDX:
It all looks good on paper....... Paper...... How many times have we said similar things in prior years? Then we come to find out our talent doesn't get utilized to it's maximum potential and we end up yelling and screaming at the coaching staff, or Greg Roman. OR, injuries happen and it doesn't play out on paper like we initially expected it to during the corresponding offeseason.

Don't hold your breath! Not trying to be a debbie downer, but until I see what we have translate from the PAPER to the FIELD in GAMES I will not get too excited..

Debbie downer.

Originally posted by ethan:

One point that's being missed is that defenses around the league are changing to deal with a pass first mentality. If they don't follow the crowd they have an advantage. They'll be pounding on defenses built to stop the pass. Pretty sure that's the mind set behind drafting these running backs who slip down the board, along with big powerful linemen.

Agree!

Originally posted by pasodoc9er:

Going back 3 pages to NinerGM's comment regarding the team staying healthy: No one commented upon it yet we all know it to be true. The team that stays the healthiest thruout the yr always has the best chance of winning.(talking about elite teams here). So once again that will be true, and it is more than passingly strange that as great a job as trent has done with backups for backups, the one spot not so well backed up is QB. If kap goes down, so does our season. Same for any team's starting QB. However, for a 3-4 week injury, high ankle for example, do we have an adequate backup for kap? Gabbert to me isn't in the same time zone as the rest of the team talentwise, and making him a project does nothing to protect us at QB this yr. Josh was an excellent signing, and at the very end as it turned out. I hope against the non elites he would be able to pinch hit and win those games, keeping us in the playoff picture.

As great as the talent is on this team, our weakest link at backup is...QB. Therefore, GM is correct when he says we need the team to stay healthy, but above all we need kap to stay healthy. Hence, the comment regarding kap not running as much as last yr will , IMO, be key...much as I like to see him run.

.

A good strong, run first offense, is a Quarterbacks best friend and pass protector.

Originally posted by Giedi:

Originally posted by ethan:
One point that's being missed is that defenses around the league are changing to deal with a pass first mentality. If they don't follow the crowd they have an advantage. They'll be pounding on defenses built to stop the pass. Pretty sure that's the mind set behind drafting these running backs who slip down the board, along with big powerful linemen.

Agree!

This is a good point, another, the two best teams in the NFL, the Niners and Seahawks, were power running/run first teams, not a coincidence IMO. However, I do feel like the offense has to evolve enough & expand the passing game to force teams out of stacking the box with 8 men at the LOS. We can't be so focused on the run that teams play to shut down the run all the time. It's a passing league yes & running the ball has worked for us, I don't want that to change completely, but I want more versatility/explosion from this team.

Originally posted by matt49er:
This is a good point, another, the two best teams in the NFL, the Niners and Seahawks, were power running/run first teams, not a coincidence IMO. However, I do feel like the offense has to evolve enough & expand the passing game to force teams out of stacking the box with 8 men at the LOS. We can't be so focused on the run that teams play to shut down the run all the time. It's a passing league yes & running the ball has worked for us, I don't want that to change completely, but I want more versatility/explosion from this team.

When they draft in that direction, though, you have to believe they're committed to the power game for the long term. Marcus Martin is 20 years old, Brandon Thomas won't even practice until next spring in all likelyhood. Those are longer term draft picks.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2014/06/17/offensive-makeover-promised-by-coordinator-roman-thanks-to-new-pieces/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+49ersHotRead+%2849ers+Hot+Read%29

The 49ers will unveil a "different offense" this season, a vague term that offensive coordinator Greg Roman

"Starting with the beginning of the offseason, we as the offensive staff, after three years here, it was kind of a time-to-clean-out-the-garage type of thing," Roman said. "We went through everything we've done and really stripped it back down to its most element, basic parts and start over at square one."

Good. I saw a ton of things Philly did last year that we need to be doing.

Originally posted by Giedi:

Originally posted by ethan:
One point that's being missed is that defenses around the league are changing to deal with a pass first mentality. If they don't follow the crowd they have an advantage. They'll be pounding on defenses built to stop the pass. Pretty sure that's the mind set behind drafting these running backs who slip down the board, along with big powerful linemen.

Agree!

I don't strongly disagree with any of this. All I would point out is that when defenses play the Niners, they're not expecting a pass first mentality. So, it seems to me that if Harbaugh and Roman start thinking of ways to change up a little now and then, they could throw some nice curves at defenses that have spent the week getting ready for run first. As far as running backs are concerned, Baalke obviously had to prepare for life after Gore. And as far as linemen are concerned, I think if you check them out you'll find that both Marcus Martin and Jacobs excel at pass protection, especially Martin.

Ooooooooh....