7 Reasons the San Francisco 49ers Have the NFC West Locked Up

The San Francisco 49ers were one of the best stories of the NFL in 2011—the red and gold showed flashes of their old winning ways. 

For years, 49ers fans were disappointed with the 49er's performance and begged for the team to get rid of former No. 1 draft pick, Alex Smith. The exact opposite happened last year; Candlestick Park rocked as hard as the 1989 earthquake all year long. 

The 49ers brought in the Stanford Cardinals' coach Jim Harbaugh and he revitalized quarterback Alex Smith. Smith and Harbaugh were hugging and smacking pads all year and fans couldn't be happier. 

The 49ers went on to win the NFC West with a 13-3 record and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants. San Francisco was a great story, but not a one-hit wonder. The 49ers have the NFC West locked up and are already Super Bowl contenders.

Returning Defense

The San Francisco 49ers dominated offenses in 2011, making them the best defense in the NFL, and all 11 starters will return in 2012.  

San Francisco's stellar defense led the league in rush yards allowed per game (77.2), and they were second in the league in points per game (14.3). The 49ers' defense also became the first defense in NFL history to not give up a rushing touchdown through its first 14 games played. 

Although Patrick Wills missed three games in 2011, he was still the anchor of the defense. In 13 games played, Willis recorded 97 tackles and forced four fumbles. He has to be accredited with being a team leader and helping NaVorro Bowman have a breakout year as well. Bowman led the team with 143 tackles in his second year as a pro.

The defensive line was anchored by a veteran and a rookie Smith.

Justin Smith, 11 year veteran, recorded 58 tackles, seven and a half sacks and three forced fumbles. The young rookie Aldon Smith was a sack machine, by racking up 14.

One of the biggest surprises was Carlos Rogers. The cornerback was signed to a one-year contract and picked the opposing quarterback six times. The 49ers' defense was stellar in 2011 and has a chance to be even better in 2012 with the experience of last year.   

Backfield

San Francisco already had a solid backfield with Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter in 2011, but the addition of Brandon Jacobs may make them the best backfield in the league. 

Frank Gore has been a horse since coming to the NFL and he was great again in 2011. Gore carried the ball 282 times for 1,211 yards and eight touchdowns. 

Gore was paired up with Kendall Hunter to make a bit of a thunder and lightning combination in 2011. Hunter, a rookie out of Oklahoma St., rushed for 473 yards on 112 carries and added two more touchdowns. Both backs were also solid receiving targets for Alex Smith. 

The addition of Brandon Jacobs makes the 49ers backfield a ridiculous three-headed monster. Jacobs is a power runner, who can help on third down and the goal line for the 49ers. in 2011, Jacobs carried the ball 152 times for 571 yards and seven times.

Defenses will be going crazy trying to stop this trio in 2012.  

Playmakers

In 2011, San Francisco lacked major playmakers, but things will be different in 2012. 

Alex Smith didn't have a true home run threat to throw to besides tight end Vernon Davis in 2011. Michael Crabtree is an underneath target and Ted Ginn Jr. is not reliable. 

How did the 49ers address this situation?

They brought in a Super Bowl hero and a former star looking to win a Super Bowl. Mario Manningham only caught 39 passes for 523 yards and four touchdowns for the New York Giants. Manningham came up huge for the Giants in the Super Bowl by catching a tip-toeing sideline ball to help the team win the Super Bowl.

He's also only 25 years old. 

Randy Moss was a huge risk and reward pickup for San Francisco. Moss sat out the entire 2011 season and was terrible in 2010 playing for three different teams. However, Moss has the numbers of a future Hall of Fame inductee, and if he still has his blazing speed he will be a great pickup. 

The 49ers now have playmakers all across the board. The backfield is loaded and Smith has plenty of options to throw to now. Smith will enjoy throwing to Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham and Randy Moss all year long. 

Alex Smith

Alex Smith was the biggest surprise for the 49ers in 2011 and the team couldn't be any happier. 

The quarterback had six terrible seasons after becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the same draft as Aaron Rodgers, a local Cal product. Finally, it all came together for Smith in his seventh season and first under head coach, Jim Harbaugh. 

From day one, Harbaugh showed confidence in Smith. Confidence and feeling comfortable was always a big problem for Smith, and he excelled with Harbaugh.

The only problem is, Smith was not very happy with the 49ers pursuing Peyton Manning. Smith finally signed a three-year contract after Manning decided to be a Bronco and he can't bring any drama to the team in 2012.

Smith may be the best quarterback in the NFC West. Kevin Kolb, Sam Bradford and Matt Flynn are the other quarterbacks in the division, and they are talented, but unproven. If Smith continues to grow under Harbaugh, he will shine compared to the other quarterbacks.  

Free Agency

The San Francisco 49ers were very busy this offseason, showing the football world they are hungry for more in 2012. 

The 49ers may have won the free agency battle this offseason and have done a great job of upgrading their roster. The team went out and signed free agents and re-signed players from last year's team. 

After losing out on Peyton Manning, the 49ers signed Alex Smith to three more years. They also brought him great weapons in Mario Manningham and Randy Moss. Then, they signed Brandon Jacobs to power through defenses into the end zone. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers brought Carlos Rogers and Ahmad Brooks back for the long haul. Dashon Goldson was also franchise tagged by the team. 

The 49ers' busy offseason just goes to show that they are going all in for the 2012 season. 

Jim Harbaugh

Wherever Jim Harbaugh goes, the team wins. 

He completely turned around the Stanford Cardinals' football program and revitalized the San Francisco 49ers in 2011. Harbaugh took San Francisco by storm and fans embraced the energetic coach. 

Harbaugh's biggest accomplishment was bringing the best out of quarterback, Alex Smith. He gave him confidence and the potential San Francisco always saw in him finally came out. By turning around the 49ers, Harbaugh went on to win the NFL's Coach of the Year.  

The 49ers have one of the best coaches in the league and easily the best in the NFC West.  

Weak NFC West

The San Francisco 49ers ran away with the NFC West in 2011 by five games, and it won't be much different in 2012. 

The 49ers got better this offseason and the NFC West is still weak. The remaining teams have talented, but unproven quarterbacks. Sam Bradford is still young, Kevin Kolb was a bust last year and Matt Flynn is still unproven. 

Compare every part of the 49ers to the other teams in the NFC West and the 49ers are better. Offense, defense, special teams and coaching all go to San Francisco. The NFC West is already locked up for San Francisco, and they may be donning rings after the 2012 season.