San Francisco 49ers: Thoughts After Two Wins

(Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

I wrote this article after the third preseason game of 2009, detailing who the San Francisco 49ers were as a team. My reactions to their play in the preseason led me to make some statements about the team, as well as identify some areas that appeared to need improvement

I thought I would follow up every few weeks with some impressions about the team, especially considering that they have surprised me along the way.

I know it's only Week Three in the NFL, and we still don't really know most team's true identities—and if we claim to, we're either going to be wrong...or lucky.

That being said, I'll do my best to give some impressions of what the 49ers have shown thus far, and also try to discern which areas constitute a real identity and which are more situational inconsistencies.

Running Game

Well, I had sworn the 49ers would own every team on the ground this year...or at least, I figured, they wouldn't get shut down at all this season.

Week One proved me wrong on that front, but Week Two made me look like a genius. Obviously, the apparent reality of the running game is somewhere in the middle.

The 49ers are a running team. I have no doubt about that. I also don't think that's going to change by season's end. The Arizona game was just downright weird.

First of all, the team didn't run block well at all. Even against eight and nine-men fronts, you have to be able to find a way to get to the second level and expose the lack of defensive depth beyond the line of scrimmage.

Averaging 1.8 yards per carry can't happen again. Ever.

Secondly, the play calling was a little suspect. Maybe the 49ers were trying to convince the Cardinals they would run the ball no matter what so Arizona would be dumbfounded when they threw it. Either way, I'd prefer not to have to win the game on Shaun Hill's arm late in the fourth quarter.

Where was the screen game? That's a run-blitz-beater!

And where was Glen Coffee? If the 49ers are going to bash the ball into the teeth of the defense 30 times a game, they should share the load so they don't kill Frank Gore!

Well, the team recovered nicely in Seattle, displaying that beating a stacked line of scrimmage can be done.

Sure, their yards came mostly on two big plays, but that's because they exposed the weakness in a stacked box. There is little to no help beyond five yards past the line of scrimmage. Gore beat the guys he had to and goodnight.

As I said, the reality of where the running game is at this point lies in the middle somewhere. The 49ers have the ability to beat run defenses, and, if they continue to prove that, we will see more varied fronts, allowing the team to hopefully grind out four to five yards per carry and control the clock.

Passing Game

If the home run touchdown play from Gore can open up the defense, maybe the 49ers won't have to prove as much in the passing game. That's significant because I'm pretty sure the team's pass offense is a slow work in progress.

Hill has done everything asked of him thus far.

People complain about him all the time. He has a noodle arm. He can't make deep throws. He has no mustard on the ball. Blah, blah, blah.

He doesn't lose games.

Hill hasn't thrown an interception yet. The team has only had one turnover through two games, with a differential of plus-two (tied for fourth in the NFL). We all know the truth in the statement: Whoever wins the turnover battle usually wins the game.

Still, there are plenty of areas the 49ers could improve that wouldn't necessarily constitute having a "high flying" passing attack.

Hill has been sacked eight times, second only to Aaron Rodgers' 10 sacks. Every sack has potential for a forced fumble, and every near-sack has the possibility of a bad throw leading to a pick.

Add to that, Hill has only thrown for 353 yards, which places him 28th in the NFL. I'm not as worried about this, though. I think that with confidence, practice with the receivers, and continued success of the run game, the passing game will open up some.

So, to summarize the passing game: It's not losing any games, it's not winning any games, per se. Sure, Hill had the drive in the fourth quarter in Arizona. But, as I said, I don't think anyone wants to rely on that consistently. Let's keep running the ball and let the passing game come.

Defense

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