Flawed Offensive Gameplan Dooms Colin Kaepernick, 49ers in Deflating Home Opener

Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers have developed a winning formula by playing tough defense and pounding opponents with a run-heavy offense.

This formula should have allowed the 49ers to cruise to victory in the regular-season debut at Levi's Stadium, as the team took a 20-7 lead over the Chicago Bears into the fourth quarter.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman, it seemed, had other ideas.

Instead of leaning on the run, draining the clock and trying to minimize mistakes, San Francisco took to the air. This ultimately doomed the team and spoiled what should have been a grand celebration of the team's new home.

Perhaps Roman was gunning for a blowout. If so, the plan certainly backfired.

On the first play from scrimmage following Chicago's first fourth-quarter score, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was picked off by rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller. Kaepernick drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the pick, giving the Bears a 1st-and-goal opportunity.

Chicago would score on the very next play.

The next San Francisco drive ended on another Fuller interception and the Bears again capitalized with a touchdown. 

Chicago's three fourth-quarter touchdowns paved the way for a 28-20 victory. Kaepernick's four turnovers (three interceptions, one lost fumble) certainly didn't help the 49ers' cause.

What really destroyed San Francisco's chances, however, was the bizarre fourth-quarter play-calling. Despite leading the game for much of the quarter and being within a score for the rest, the 49ers attempted 15 passes while running just six times in the period.

That's six runs, including a pair of Kaepernick scrambles that didn't appear to be designed plays.

The 49ers did eventually drive down to the Chicago 17-yard line before failing to convert on fourth down (it would have taken a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie). However, San Francisco should have never found itself in that position.

The 49ers are built to run the football and the offensive line has been put together with that purpose in mind. Kaepernick was forced into mistakes because the line struggled to block passes and the mistakes proved incredibly costly.  

Both of Kaepernick's fourth-quarter interceptions gave Chicago the football in 49ers territory. Neither turnover should have been allowed to happen, especially when you consider that the 49ers field a playoff-caliber defense and the team was averaging 4.8 yards per carry on the ground.

Compounding Kaepernick's struggles were the 16 accepted penalties for 118 yards committed by the 49ers.

The 49ers entered the game's final period in perfect position to earn a win, but poor play-calling put them in position to lose to a tough conference rival.