Fanboy Sports Blog: 49ers

Finally!

After ten weeks of waiting, the 49ers can at last call themselves winners again.  After waiting the entire offseason, preseason, and eleven weeks of the regular season, Frank Gore can once again see the north side of a 100-yard game.

One of the biggest factors in telling how good a passing game is average per play.  Your passing game is supposed to be the big gainer, the running game is the grinder.  One of the reasons the WCO was so revolutionary was taking the passing game and making it a grinder with short routes.  Dilfer’s average per pass was 5.6 yards. 

You see, I believe it was Plummer who stated one of Tollner’s questions was about the “Texas” route.  Where the back runs like a straight corner just past the Tackle and then cuts back for an inside slant to the middle of the field.  Tollner asked why this route wasn’t in the playbook.  The result?  A Roger Craig-like 12 catches by the backs for 106 yards.  52 of those big 57 yards by Battle were all Battle.  That leaves 98 yards that can reasonably be attributed to Trent Dilfer.

People will say whatever they want to about Alex Smith.  He played two games where the offensive game plan was heavily questioned, not to mention poor line blocking and horribly dropped passes.  Add one game against Pittsburgh where things appeared to be getting on track, then a freak injury in the Seattle game.  Whenever it comes to quarterbacks and injuries to their throwing arm or shoulder, the effect cannot be underestimated.  It is the most particular part of a quarterback’s body, and everyone’s body reacts differently.

We can reasonably infer that Dilfer had a lot of help from his supporting cast.  It was Frank Gore’s gutsy performance that won that game with 214 yards from scrimmage.  Forget Trent Dilfer,  Shaun Hill could have thrown it to Frank Gore when he’s not covered!  The supporting cast has repeatedly failed both Dilfer and Smith time and again this season.

We were apparently lied to, or people were confused, about the severity of Smith’s injury, because it’s being reported that the ligaments are still torn!  Everyone noticed his mechanics were off post-injury, and when finally it was admitted he was still hurt, everyone said DUH, but they still want to say people are making excuses for Smith!  You can’t have it both ways.  Either the injury has affected him or it has not.  If it has, then it’s not an excuse, it’s a fact.

You look at the blocking in the first few games (and all the way up until Sunday), the dropped passes all season long, the lack of explosion from Gore and the line, and the very unfortunate injury situation with Smith, and any reasonable person should conclude he has not had a fair chance to show exactly what he is capable of.

I love how a win clouds everything, just like a loss.  Apparently the mere presence of Tollner suddenly made the players execute the plays, and suddenly means he called every one of them when we know that is not true.  Also, apparently the mere absence of a completely healthy Alex Smith means Trent Dilfer is somehow amazing.  You have to give credit to Jim Hostler for finally putting it together, and maybe just having Tollner with a bug in his ear made up for the lack of experience, and the light went off.  Well, whatever it takes.  At least Hostler apparently listened to the bug!

For a team whose biggest offensive problem has been execution in the red zone, having a short field actually puts the 49ers at a disadvantage.  The key is the players executed in the crucial moments when they had to.  Tollner helped Hostler add a few West Coast wrinkles, and he probably just added some confidence to everybody overall.  Nolan had more confidence in Hostler, Hostler had more confidence in himself and his players, the players had more confidence in the calls, and the defense had more confidence in themselves.  Tollner added something.  Whether or not it was a big contribution, it merely knocked over the first domino.

Let’s recall that the 49ers offense failed to generate anything in overtime.  It was the defense that won that game on the last play, sacking Warner in the end zone.  Fitting, the way they gave the Cardinals the lead on a hail mary to end the first half. 

I expect the offense to continue to play better, if they give the ball to Frank Gore.  If Gore does not get 20+ carries and 6+ receptions, the 49ers will not beat the Panthers.  This has to carry over if we want to expect further success.