What’s Behind the 49ers Inconsistency?
I'll admit it - I was happy as a hypochondriac at CVS with an unlimited budget during the 49ers' thrashing of Arizona on Monday night. The ease with which the offense moved the ball up and down the field was reminiscent of the times when, you know, the 49ers were known for having an offense. And the defense stymied the Cardinals, literally pummeling the Cardinal's will to score.
So how the hell did this team get shut out at home last week? This is the real question for the Troy Smith led 49ers team. Why the apparent roller coaster from week to week?
Part of the answer lies in the run game. If the 49ers start off with a strong running game, the rest of the game is more likely to fall into place. Looking at the first half rushing performances over the last 4 games, a solid per carry average is directly correlated to a strong offensive performance. In wins against Denver, St. Louis and Arizona the 49ers gained 4.8, 3.6 and 5.8 yards per carry (YPC) respectively. In their loss to Tampa Bay,
Frank Gore averaged an abysmal 1.4 YPC. Troy Smith was the leading rusher in the first half with 15 yards.
Part of the problems with the running game are also schematic. The 49ers employ a very predictable running attack. Against Denver, the opening series had 7 running plays that flowed through Mike Iupati, either running into his gap or having him pull to the right. Tampa Bay defenders clearly saw this on film and knew that they had to "follow Iupati to the ball."
The 49ers running game isn't going to out-scheme very many teams. The 49ers rely on simply having a better offensive line than other teams, over utilizing the trap play behind a pulling Mike Iupati. And while Iupati is arguably the best offensive lineman on the team, the 49ers will not be able to line up and push around very many defensive lines in the NFL. The 49ers are simply relying too much on having players better than the opposing team in a league where gaping talent gaps are becoming less frequent.
I hate to say it, but Singletary is right. The 49ers have to run the ball effectively to have a hope of taking the NFC West crown. That task will become more difficult with the loss of Frank Gore as Gore excelled at running the trap play. Brian Westbrook, while a very good running back in his own right, runs with a very different style.
And maybe, just maybe, Frank Gore's injury will force the 49ers to vary their running game to accommodate Westbrook. Because it is very apparent that Troy Smith's passing success is predicated on the play action pass. And when the play action pass works, the Troy Smith led 49ers could be worthy of a division crown.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
-
Frank
It was good to see the Niner running game working...but, it was against a totally inept 'Zona team that seemed uninspired, listless and basicallly bush-league. Looking at the rest of the Niner's schedule, they most likely won't have similar success 'til the last game of the season against...you guessed it, the hapless Cards. I see three road losses...and I'm not very confident they can beat Seattle at home. So, in the end, I see a best case 6-10 record, with 5-11 a possibility. If that doesn't prompt Jed York to fire Singletary, then there's no hope for the future.
Dec 2, 2010 at 5:46 AM
-
jim
Did you see the Cardinal defensive front line at all? When Troy was in the shotgun, there were plays where he himself could have just walked to the marker for the 1st down. If Steve Young was still QB, he alone would have rushed for over 200 yards.
Dec 1, 2010 at 8:25 AM
-
staysmashin80
We moved the ball so easily simply because the Cardinals are terrible! We still could not figure out how to get the ball into the end zone in the second half. The Cardinals are horrible on offense although I think that we have a strong D we will never shut a even good run game down the way we did the Cards. I agree that a strong run game is the key to open up the offense for Troy but when he is over throwing guys wide open in the end zone and guys are doping passes it makes us very predictable!! I went to M.N.F.B and me and the guy sitting behind me took turns looking at the offensive formations and calling what the play would be before the snap! Now by no stretch of the imagination am I in any way saying that it is that easy but I would hope that it would be a little harder than that!
Dec 1, 2010 at 5:14 AM
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers starting to figure out running back rotation behind Christian McCaffrey
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24
Through the first two games of the season, San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey dominated the team's touches, recording 27 in Week 1, when he rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, and 23 in Week 2, when he gained 116 yards on the ground and another touchdown.
When on the field, McCaffrey was dominant, but he was earning a lion's share of the reps at running back, including a 100% snap share in Week 2 during the 49ers' 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
That led to head coach Kyle Shanahan taking some accountability after the Week 2 win, understanding the need to balance the running back rotation to preserve McCaffrey for the full season.
"Yeah, we definitely got to get Elijah in there more and do better with our rotation than
Several former 49ers named among 173 nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024
The Pro Football Hall of Fame named the 173 nominees for its Class of 2024. Several former San Francisco 49ers players are on the list, as Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area pointed out.
Pro Football Hall of Fame nominees include ex-49ers Jeff Garcia, Ricky Watters, Charlie Garner, Brian Westbrook, Anquan Boldin, Justin Smith, Dana Stubblefield, Ted Washington, NaVorro Bowman, Takeo Spikes, Patrick Willis, Lee Woodall, Julian Peterson, Merton Hanks, Tim McDonald.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 19,
Why 49ers Nick Bosa appears "sluggish" through two games
After missing this year's OTA's and Training Camp in a hold out effort for a new contract, San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Defensive End Nick Bosa finally became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, just days before the team's week one matchup against the Pittsburg Steelers. Bosa signed a five-year $170 million extension with the team.
It's easy to say Bosa's slow start in that week one matchup was due to his holdout and lack of football activity with the team this offseason. However, to say that sluggishness carried over into their week two matchup against their division rival Los Angeles Rams isn't entirely true. Far too often players (especially defensive players) are critiqued on stats alone. While stats help players earn end of the year accolades, they don't
"They are basically fielding the NFL All-Pro team": Where the 49ers stand in Week 3 power rankings
The San Francisco 49ers have now won 12 consecutive regular-season games, just three games shy of tying the 15-game record set between the 1989 and 1990 seasons. Sunday's 30-23 win against the Los Angeles Rams may not have been the prettiest of victories, but Kyle Shanahan's squad improved to 2-0 on the season and sit alone atop the NFC West.
The 49ers managed to beat their division rival despite quarterback Brock Purdy having arguably his most unimpressive game as a starter. He finished the game 17-of-25 for 206 yards and a passer rating of 93.1, a new regular-season career-low as a starter.
Meanwhile, running back Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL with 268 rushing yards and ranks second only to wide receiver Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings in
