Frank Gore and the Spread Offense (Steve Young article)

MRNINESEVEN · 2009-11-27T13:55:54-08:00

If this has already been posted then my bad. I haven't seen anything yet. here's the article from ESPN NFL Insider today from a KNBR interview: Steve Young's most recent KNBR interview is a must-listen for anyone hoping to master the issues facing Alex Smith and the 49ers' offense heading into the final six games. Alex Smith's numbers are much better out of the shotgun this season.Listening to the Hall of Fame quarterback's thoughts helped crystallize my own. All the focus on whether the 49ers should embrace more of a spread offense obscures a key point: Smith must become more proficient operating from under center if he hopes to become a winning quarterback for the 49ers or any other NFL team. Just as a scrambling quarterback must learn how to succeed as a pocket passer, Smith must learn to operate a conventional offense. As I have noted several times, Smith isn't Peyton Manning, so the 49ers can forget about asking him to carry the offense from the shotgun play after play. They can use the shotgun more frequently, but probably not predominantly. "If he is really only able to thrive in the spread, then that might not be the dilemma of the week, but it is the dilemma of the year and onto next year as to exactly how they are going to do that," Young said. "Now, I can't believe that if you can play competent quarterback in the spread that you can't transition to understand how to play quarterback in the I (formation). I did it and all of the above and it just doesn't seem like that is all that hard to do." This is where offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye's recent comments come into play. While supportive of Smith, Raye said game situations were far more significant than formations in the team's second-half offensive successes against the Texans and Packers. The 49ers trailed both games by wide margins. Lots of teams rack up yardage while playing from behind. "The quantity of the yards and quality of the yards has to be measured by the score and the time in the game," Raye said. "I don’t think the formation per se had a whole lot to do with it. The fact that we were in a semi-rally mode because we were down by four scores had something to do with it." If Smith cannot play well across personnel groups and formations, the 49ers cannot win with him over the long term. Young drove home that point. "They are stuck with an All-Pro running back (Frank Gore) that needs a certain formation and then up-and-coming stars that need another formation," Young said. "And they have no way to meld the two because they really aren't compatible." The way to meld the two is for Smith to adapt. He needs to do that over the final six games. "There is no reason why we can't get Alex to get under center," Young said. "It is a matter of time, if we can withstand the growing pains of doing that. But there is no reason he cannot get somebody under center in the offseason and really work it out." I think he's nailed it. We do have a mixture of talent that usually doesn't mold together or takes time. Can Smith adapt? How about Raye. Can he adapt? How's about bringing in Young for some 1 on 1 with Johnny Utah!

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:01 PM

Ninerman49
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why doesnt young mentor him??? thats my question and is what the niners need

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:16 PM

nvninerfan1
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Why would he want to get involved in mentoring Alex? He's making too much money and enjoying life now.

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:26 PM

znk916
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Posts: 4,285

Gore doesn't need a certain formation...he said so himself and the stats bear it out. Just do whatever smallhands needs to be comfortable.

[ Edited by znk916 on Nov 27, 2009 at 2:27 PM ]

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:29 PM

190836
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I don't think the Yorks care much about Young.

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:46 PM

SnakePlissken
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He really did hit it on the head that Alex needs to be comfortable enough in every kind if NFL formation to succeed/be deemed unpredictable in the passing game.

But lately I don't find it so much to be Smith that's uncomfortable but our offensive line in "I-formation" roles. It's almost as if Alex NEEDS to work out of the shotgun so he has a 2-second head start on the defense before it rips him to shreds. Our o-line is garbage, utter f**king garbage, and we statistically have the worst offensive guard-play in the league.

Seriously, this happened to Shaun Hill, no QB can survive behind our o-line with more than a 2-second gap of 'check-downs' before it's lights-out. Every time you see a direct snap you almost always KNOW that our QB is going to get sacked, this is just f**king pitiful.

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:46 PM

maximill15
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awe man I'd kill for steve to be a coach on this team!!!! And gore is a great wr, so he'd get his regardless, cause he is smith's safety valve! But he is right, we can't soley go gun the entire game, we don't have tom brady or his o line!

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:52 PM

LambdaChi49
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Posts: 13,364

I think Young, along with others are over reacting. No one has once said go exclusively to a spread offense. People are saying lets utilize it more than we are. Smith isnt HORRIBLE under center. Smith plays horrible under center because he has no protection. Our LINE cant handle the i formation. Thats the problem with the i form. Smith was under center a majority of the time in 06 and he wasnt bad at all. SO I dont buy into this whole notion that Smith just "cannot get it done" under center. History disagrees with that idea.

Again...Smith isnt the problem under center..in the i form. Its the o-line that cant seem to protect in tighter formations. They dont give Smith enough time for a 3 step drop. I'm not saying Smith is great under center but he CAN do good enough when given time (see 2006). Does he need work under center? Absolutely. But all this talk of, "well well he's ONLY good in the shot gun" is not looking at the big picture.

And look at the Patriots...they have an AWESOME o-line and Brady is in the shotgun something like 60% of the game. No Smith isnt Brady but you get my point.

Nov 27, 2009 at 2:53 PM

blunt_probe
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We don't have an o-line. It shouldn't be surprising that he thrives in the shotgun. I don't think it's possible for Alex to adapt with the way things are now.

[ Edited by blunt_probe on Nov 27, 2009 at 2:55 PM ]

Nov 27, 2009 at 3:22 PM

Ninersdeep
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Posts: 398

you got the link with the interview?

Nov 27, 2009 at 4:07 PM

#10

maximill15
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Posts: 11,734

Originally posted by LambdaChi49:
I think Young, along with others are over reacting. No one has once said go exclusively to a spread offense. People are saying lets utilize it more than we are. Smith isnt HORRIBLE under center. Smith plays horrible under center because he has no protection. Our LINE cant handle the i formation. Thats the problem with the i form. Smith was under center a majority of the time in 06 and he wasnt bad at all. SO I dont buy into this whole notion that Smith just "cannot get it done" under center. History disagrees with that idea.

Again...Smith isnt the problem under center..in the i form. Its the o-line that cant seem to protect in tighter formations. They dont give Smith enough time for a 3 step drop. I'm not saying Smith is great under center but he CAN do good enough when given time (see 2006). Does he need work under center? Absolutely. But all this talk of, "well well he's ONLY good in the shot gun" is not looking at the big picture.

And look at the Patriots...they have an AWESOME o-line and Brady is in the shotgun something like 60% of the game. No Smith isnt Brady but you get my point.

Granted he needs time to throw the ball, but the times he has had time in the I vs the spread, it's still night and day how he does! I think he is capable of handling both formations, but he needs to trust his o-line more, and be able to feel teh pressure better

Nov 27, 2009 at 4:27 PM

#11

backontop
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Posts: 14,346

Originally posted by maximill15:
Originally posted by LambdaChi49:
I think Young, along with others are over reacting. No one has once said go exclusively to a spread offense. People are saying lets utilize it more than we are. Smith isnt HORRIBLE under center. Smith plays horrible under center because he has no protection. Our LINE cant handle the i formation. Thats the problem with the i form. Smith was under center a majority of the time in 06 and he wasnt bad at all. SO I dont buy into this whole notion that Smith just "cannot get it done" under center. History disagrees with that idea.

Again...Smith isnt the problem under center..in the i form. Its the o-line that cant seem to protect in tighter formations. They dont give Smith enough time for a 3 step drop. I'm not saying Smith is great under center but he CAN do good enough when given time (see 2006). Does he need work under center? Absolutely. But all this talk of, "well well he's ONLY good in the shot gun" is not looking at the big picture.

And look at the Patriots...they have an AWESOME o-line and Brady is in the shotgun something like 60% of the game. No Smith isnt Brady but you get my point.

Granted he needs time to throw the ball, but the times he has had time in the I vs the spread, it's still night and day how he does! I think he is capable of handling both formations, but he needs to trust his o-line more, and be able to feel teh pressure better

trust his OLine

Have you not seen the how the OLine has performed this year? Smith is getting pressured before he even sets his feet in a 3 step drop. I wouldn't trust that OLine either. Anyone who says they would is a flat out liar.

Nov 27, 2009 at 4:45 PM

#12

Mookster
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Posts: 1,432

The frustrating thing is that Raye seems to be compelled to make Smith fit one style of play NOW. Why not let him play predominately out of the shot gun where he is comfortable and is performing well and then mix in a few under centre I formations as the Niners get control of the game? Seems to me the logical process would be to take advantage of a skill Smith already has while developing the ones he doesn't.

Nov 27, 2009 at 4:47 PM

#13

SanDiego49er
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Posts: 52,285

Originally posted by Mookster:
The frustrating thing is that Raye seems to be compelled to make Smith fit one style of play NOW. Why not let him play predominately out of the shot gun where he is comfortable and is performing well and then mix in a few under centre I formations as the Niners get control of the game? Seems to me the logical process would be to take advantage of a skill Smith already has while developing the ones he doesn't.

That would make too much sense for sing / raye to adopt it...

Nov 27, 2009 at 5:46 PM

#14

tohara3
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Posts: 30,775

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Originally posted by Mookster:
The frustrating thing is that Raye seems to be compelled to make Smith fit one style of play NOW. Why not let him play predominately out of the shot gun where he is comfortable and is performing well and then mix in a few under centre I formations as the Niners get control of the game? Seems to me the logical process would be to take advantage of a skill Smith already has while developing the ones he doesn't.

That would make too much sense for sing / raye to adopt it...

This for sure!