Originally posted by NCommand:
I think Dorsey has been solid and hopefully Ian comes back PISSED OFF! That said, we've had a glaring weakness for a long long long time here and that is, when we do face big, powerful RB's we tend to get beat up right up the middle for 4-5 yards a carry. Usually, teams don't stick with it (save for Indy/Seattle). But I still think we need more beef up front or go to a 4-man bigger personnel DL to stuff it initially and then once established, get back to the base 3-4. So in short, no, I don't think Dorsey is the "answer" per se but he is a very solid player for us and is only going to get better.
With the salary cap it will probably be rough to have a premier nose tackle along with all the other talent on this team unfortunately. I think as long as Willis and Bowman continue to play at a high level the Niners will be ok. Dorsey and Williams should be solid, not spectacular at the position for a while.
The Niners defense is predicated on a bend don't break philosophy. They don't like giving up big plays which is why they rarely seem to stack the box. It forces the offense to slowly drive down the field, driving up the opportunities for a miscue from the offense. This however, does leave them a bit vulnerable to a big back who can push a pile, like Lynch or Jackson.
But I also think if you look at a player like Lynch, he performs well virtually any game. He's just one of those consistent players who is going to get his yardage at this point. Holding him to a sub 100 day is something to be proud of. So I'm not too concerned with the Niners struggling a bit against Lynch. I also think the Niners simply didn't expect Indy to run as much as they did that day and really came in the game a bit flat.