Position Group Review (Offense)

The loss to the Ravens this week was not fun to watch, but I believe we have enough perspective on it now. Short week, emotional game for the coaches, Chilo being Chilo, etc. Truth be told, we were beaten by a good team. We live, we learn, we move on. The more upsetting part of the game for me was listening to the guy next to me at the bar bash my team. He wanted someone to talk to and he noticed I was rooting on the niners so he kept trying to get me to interact by talking smack. My patience prevailed just as our patience with this team shall prevail. Let us not be spoiled into thinking that just because the team is on the right road again that there won't be bumps along the way. That being said, I wanted to take a look at each position group and assess the season and production thus far. I will start with Offense. If you guys like this, I will do the defense as well. Hell, I might just do it anyway!

QB:

Alex Smith - Much has been made of his Renaissance this year. Some think he has lofted himself into the elite QB conversation. Others think he is a ticking time bomb of game management and luck. My analysis puts him somewhere in the middle. Jim Harbaugh has proven that he can mend cracked egos, which is a miracle in and of itself. But, do not delude yourself into thinking he is an elite QB just yet. He has proven that he can avoid the big mistakes that have plagued him most of his career and he has shown much more efficiency and consistency on some key drives. What is still concerning is that he is missing open receivers with his throws and in his progressions. The hope is that he is slowly mastering the system and that he will eventually make those plays. Ultimately, it will be his performance in the Playoffs that will determine whether the team decides to invest in him long term or whether they look to get another year or two out of him before handing the team over to Kaepernick (Or Tolzien for that matter).

Colin Kaepernick - We have seen very little of him so far. His 3-3 performance against Tampa Bay was marred by Josh Morgan's injury and the fact that the Bucs were just looking to get out of town as quickly as possible. We all know he has the measurables to be an amazing QB. When will we see what he can do?

Scott Tolzien - I was very happy we picked this guy up. Watching him against us in the preseason you can see that he has great accuracy, makes quick decisions, and plays with poise. He lacks a big time arm and mobility, but he projects well as a guy that will always play better than people expect.

RB:

Frank Gore - How much more praise can we heap on this guy. He is the heart and soul of this team. Some thought he was done after a slow start but he has proven his nay-sayers wrong, AGAIN. My only concern is that we rest him enough going into the playoffs. If he goes down late in the season as he is prone to do it would deflate this team. Hopefully the other backs will get plenty of work against our next few opponents.

Kendall Hunter - He is the best back-up RB we have had since Gore was backing up Kevan Barlow. The problem is we still haven't seen enough of him. Perhaps the staff is taking it easy on him or he just isn't ready for the whole playbook. Whatever the reason, we need him to see more time to ensure Gore's continued good health. Hunter has proven that he has the speed and elusiveness to be a great back in this league.

Anthony Dixon - Is any player on this team more likeable? Dixon is exactly the kind of guy you want on your team. He is upbeat, hard-working, and never seems to complain. He has hardly seen a carry this year and yet he has embraced his job as a Special Teams standout. I would love to see him get more carries to keep Gore fresh and to give the other team different looks, but if his role stays the same we are a better team for his work.

Bruce Miller - No one, not even Miller himself, saw this guy transitioning this quickly. He is athletic, can catch the ball, and has learned his blocking assignments extremely well. In fact, his absence from Thursdays game was a big reason why the offense stumbled. We found a real gem here and the sky is the limit for him. Once he is healthy I would love to see him get more involved in the passing game and get a few more carries under his belt. Right now I think he only has one carry, and he fumbled.

Moran Norris - Can we all agree that this guy is done? He can't get through the hole fast enough and is terrible in blitz pick-up. I can't remember the last time this guy was effective for this team. In the offseason he will be let go and the coaches will either get a new back-up or get the third TE more reps in the backfield.

TE:

Vernon Davis - Some have questioned his ability to break tackles. Other have issues with his drops. Sure, he has his limitations, but he is still the go to receiver on this team. He is having a very nice year in receptions and yards. Ultimately other teams have to play us differently because of him. I want to see improvements, but I am very happy with his production. I can't wait to see what he does in the playoffs.

Delanie Walker - The Detroit game was definitely a break out game for him. Since then he has been pretty quiet. That might be the fault of Alex Smith, or it might be other teams adjusting to him. No matter what, he has already had a career year. His next step is more consistency.

Justin Peelle - He is simply taking up a roster spot and filling in a role. I wouldn't be suprised if he were replaced next year. He seems to block well and can catch a few passes, but he is a dime-a-dozen player.

WR:

Michael Crabtree - He seems to finally be healthy and we are starting to see exactly what type of player he is. He has great hands and runs fairly precise routes. He is a dependable possession guy but will probably never be the game changer he was in college. He simply doesn't have the speed or the elusiveness in the open field. That said, he and Smith seem to be getting more and more in sync. They are occasional miscommunications, but Smith isn't sailing EVERY pass two feet over his head. Ultimately, Crabtree can play a vital role on this team if we have another WR capable of getting downfield. Sadly, this is the biggest hole in the offense right now.

Braylon Edwards - Now we know that he has been hurting more than we suspected. Does it give him a pass? In my mind, yes. He hasn't displayed the diva personality that hurt him in Cleveland and New York. He seems to be working hard, but injuries can be frustrating. Anyone who has played a sport knows what it is like to know what you should do and have your body not respond. Let's hope he gets a few weeks of rest and can break out at the end of the season going into the playoffs. If he can stretch the field this offense will take off in a hurry.

Ted Ginn - He has been as solid as can be in the return game. He is a HUGE part of this team's success because of the field position he creates. Unfortunately, he just isn't a great receiver. He loses concentration, drops too many passes, and isn't physical enough to fight for the ball. Still, plays like the almost touchdown against the Ravens leave us wanting more deep throws to him. Personally, I would love to see him get about 8-10 snaps a game and have him run nothing but deep routes to stretch the defense out.

Kyle Williams - This kid is quick and has great hands. We are just starting to see what he can do and it is exciting. The only limitation he might have is his top end speed which makes him a less effective deep threat. Because of that he and Crabtree fill similar roles. He may prove me wrong (I hope he does).

Josh Morgan - You just have to feel for the guy. Just as he was coming into his own he goes down for the year. Even his biggest critics here have to admit that he was on the cusp of a breakout. He has great size, speed and quickness and he and Alex Smith seem to have great chemistry. I can't wait to see what he does when he comes back next year!

Brett Swain - Who knows? We might get to see something from him against St. Louis.

OL:

Joe Staley - The truth is Staley will never be an elite LT. He has great mobility, gets to the second level very well, and fights through the whole game; but, he will give up sacks, especially to speed rushers. He has good feet and balance, so the power guys on the outside are usually no big deal, but the guys that get up field quickly can cause problems. I would be interested to see what Alex Boone could do if given the chance, but Staley gets the job done and is at least above average. If we have the opportunity to draft a can't-miss LT, we jump on it. Otherwise, we have a solid setup right now.

Mike Iupati - He is quickly becoming one of the most feared LG in football and he still gives me the impression that he is a man-child. Iupati is huge, strong, and pretty damn agile and will anchor this line for years to come. He may not make the Pro-Bowl this year, but it is coming.

Jonathan Goodwin - He has played like a solid veteran all season. No botched snaps and he seems to do a nice job of calling the blitz pick-ups. Nothing about his play stands out to me, good or bad.

Adam Snyder - He might be the only guy on the team that can sympathize with the rollercoaster Alex Smith has had to ride. Snyder was a well liked back-up, the heir apparent at RT, then the goat for a bad line. He has practiced at every position on the line, and even played some fullback and TE. His best fit seems to be at RG. He plays well with Davis and the protection gets exponentially better when he is in.

Anthony Davis - I love his feisty attitude. I love his smile when he is breaking up a fight. Even though it is immature and inappropriate, I even love his twitter bombs. He shows a passion for the game and a desire to compete that some players with all the attributes lack. The future might have him move over to the left side if Staley begins to deteriorate, but for now he is a solid RT. His play may have improved more than anyone on the team not named Alex Smith. Suggs taught him a few lessons, but Suggs can teach lessons to almost anyone in the league.

Chilo Rachal - Get your torches and pitchforks! I have been holding judgement on him for far too long. I kept saying that his talent will eventually shine through and he would be the player we thought he could be. Well, after watching the Ravens game I am done with this guy. He personally caused at least three sacks and countless pressures. Suggs wouldn't have been nearly as effective if Alex could have stepped up in the pocket. I can't remember the exact play, but at one point he put his hands up to block a guy that was right in front of him and just as he was about to engage him, he moved left to double team the NT that Goodwin had already stopped. Chilo's man came in untouched for a sack. Unacceptable. I would rather see Kilgore or Person make the same mistakes and learn from them than watch another year of Chilo.

Alex Boone - I love that Harbaugh has gotten him involved in some of the sets. He has worked too hard over the last couple years to sit around cheering. He is looking solid in a limited role and may see some time on the line when we start resting our starters. My only concern is that we lock him up now before he leaves for a starting job somewhere else!

Daniel Kilgore and Michael Person - Unknowns, but they occupy roster spots for a reason. Hopefully one of them will be able to unseat Rachal soon.

Great analysis!

Great post,

However im only gonna disagree with one statement you wrote about Crabtree, about how he doesn't have the elusiveness in the open field. I think he has great elusiveness, defenders have a hard time bringing him down on first contact, it seems like after he catches the ball he makes a few moves to get away from the first defender then is wrestling his way for a couple more yds. The issue I see is that most of the time when he catches the ball, it seems like there are no other 49ers around him or close enough to him to throw a block so that he can make a few more moves to get out into open space. We have seen it before if Crabtree has some open field he can get some pretty good chunks of yardage, sometimes scoring on those plays.

I'll add that Justin Peelle is filling in for Nate Byham, so yeah Peelle will most likely be gone next year.

Yep can't wait for Nate Byham next year....too bad on his injury this guy was a beast blocking and has pretty good hands too.....

Originally posted by Natewillis2252:
Great post,

However im only gonna disagree with one statement you wrote about Crabtree, about how he doesn't have the elusiveness in the open field. I think he has great elusiveness, defenders have a hard time bringing him down on first contact, it seems like after he catches the ball he makes a few moves to get away from the first defender then is wrestling his way for a couple more yds. The issue I see is that most of the time when he catches the ball, it seems like there are no other 49ers around him or close enough to him to throw a block so that he can make a few more moves to get out into open space. We have seen it before if Crabtree has some open field he can get some pretty good chunks of yardage, sometimes scoring on those plays.

I'll add that Justin Peelle is filling in for Nate Byham, so yeah Peelle will most likely be gone next year.

You might be right. I guess I would amend it to say that he doesn't have the burst of speed to consistently get big YAC. It seems like he moves around and gains 4-5 yards extra, rather than hitting a seam and breaking it. I don't think teams worry about his open field speed.

As for Byham, I am excited to see him back. I think he is a better blocker, has more experience coming out of the backfield as an extra FB and can even suprise people with his hands and quickness.

Good write up.

1. STALEY -- I agree 100% on Staley. I've said that same thing in other posts. I've even thought that ADavis might be a better LT, but Staley isn't a god power blocker for RT. But you bring up an interest point - I forgot about Boone. He might be the RT next year with ADavis moving to LT.

2. CRABTREE -- I don't think Crabtree is a #1 WR - he is making strides, and could be a really good #2 IMHO. But he lacks #1 ideal size, speed, and ability to go up tough in traffic or with defenders on him. That is what they brought in Edwards for, but unfortunately hasn't worked out well. I dare say that if Morgan got a whole season playing, while not possessing elite speed, he has more #1 attributes than Crabtree.

3. CHILO - oh man, I feel the same way after the Ravens game. He has the physical tools, but not the mental aspects or will. Without that, talent will never show through. Say goodbye. Like you, I'd rather watch our rookies make those mistakes but gain experience that will pay off later. The experience is clearly being wasted on Rachel.

4. GINN - again, agree. he is just not natural catching passes. Which is mind boggling because he is so natural catching punts! And punts are harder to field and take more courage. I just don't get it.

5. A. SMITH - Only disagree slightly on his development. I think keeping him conservative is the plan to build his confidence in the scheme. Its not something you do in 8 games and then put it all at risk by taking the wraps off. Instead of it all riding on a playoff performance, I think the staff will be looking for him to become more comfortable and proficient in the offense over these final 5 games. As long as he plays solid for his position in the playoffs, even if the team as a whole struggles, they will retain him to grow more and compete for a spot with an improved offseason and roster next year.

Good report, Alex will have to show up when there's a big game. If he can come through at playoff time then Kaepernick and Tolzien will just warm the bench. When is Chilo going to produce? When he's in the game the entire right side collapses.

Awesome analysis dude. Always good to read in depth niner views.

I think Goodwin not standing out is a good thing. Centers usually only get noticed when they F up. He's been a great pick up.

We are good to go with pretty much the same cast of players for next year. With the exception of Chilo. Braylon and Goodwin are iffy, pending injuries and age.

Great analysis and much appreciated. Pretty much have to agree with you on Crabtree and Alex. But, the homer in me still holds out that there is a chance they could each develop into something special. Hope springs eternal! Go Niners!

Excellent post! Thanks for the hard work.

I just don't see JH replacing Staley with anyone. I'm a big ABoone fan and I have a feeling we'll see him more involved sooner than later. Staley seems to get injured every other year [I don't have the data - it just seems that way] Also, inuries are part of the game and I think ABoone can be a force.

JH's cultivation of Alex Smith has been awesome to say the least. I see Alex growing and getting better. I also think we have 2 backups who will be very good. That Toleizen was very impressive in preseason.

Chilio sucks, that's the whole story and having a guy like Snyder who can fill in all over the line is a blessing.

I've read in the Zone that Kilgore is being groomed to be the Center of the future, probably in 2 years. He was also impressive in preseason so it will be interesting.

After everything is said and done this season, I think everyone will be on the edge of their seats seeing what Baalke/JH will do in FA and the upcoming draft.

Thanks again.