What to Expect from Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers Offense in Week 11

The San Francisco 49ers saved their season with a dramatic overtime win over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday thanks in part to an offensive game plan refocused on their dominant running game, which is likely to be key again as they face the New York Giants in MetLife Stadium in Week 11. 

Behind the talents of all-time leading rusher Frank Gore, the 49ers gained 144 yards on the ground against a Saints run defense that ranks at No. 11 in the NFL.

Gore's performance and that of deputy of Carlos Hyde—who put up 36 yards and a touchdown in the Superdome—should leave offensive coordinator Greg Roman under no illusions as to what his strategy should be this weekend, especially against a defense that is ranked last in the NFL.

Simply put, the Giants have not been stopping anybody in recent times and surrendered an eye-watering 350 rushing yards in a 38-17 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. 

That will not have gone unnoticed by Roman, and Gore will surely feature heavily on Sunday as the 49ers aim to build momentum in what looks set to be a chase for the playoffs in the NFC.

San Francisco executed to a much better standard on offense against the Saints, but—after once again struggling to put points on the board in the second half—this is a unit that is still searching for a consistent performance through four quarters.

On paper, this is the perfect matchup in which to produce such a showing, and here we look at how the Niners, and Gore in particular, can exploit the league's worst defensive group.

Success against the Saints

One of the main issues identified by both players and coaches following the Week 9 loss to the St. Louis Rams was a lack of proper execution on offense.

The Niners looked to have gone some way to fixing those problems in the win over New Orleans, particularly in the rushing attack, which featured an offensive line that bounced back from a dreadful performance versus the Rams. Its a display that served a reminder as to why the group has been viewed as one of the best run-blocking O-lines in recent years.

Indeed, only right tackle Anthony Davis received a negative grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) for run blocking, giving Gore and Hyde the foundation from which to enjoy a profitable day on the ground.

Most of Gore's success came on left tackle runs, which is not surprising given that the left side of the line features Mike Iupati, ranked as the No. 2 run-blocking guard in the league, and Joe Staley, who is No. 4 in the NFL among tackles in the same area, according to PFF.

An 11-yard run in the first quarter served as the perfect example of the O-line's considerable abilities as run-blockers and Gore's undeniable capability to exploit their talent and take control of the game with his legs.

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This play offers a brilliant illustration of the strengths of San Francisco's O-line. Right guard Alex Boone pulls out to the left to account for Junior Galette while Staley and Iupati effectively double-team Cameron Jordan, with the latter then advancing to the second level to allow Gore—behind lead blocker Vance McDonald—to bust out a double-digit gain.

It was a trend that continued until Roman inexplicably decided to pretty much abandon the run in the second half. Still, Gore's efforts up the middle wore the Saints down enough for Hyde to gash them with runs to the outside in an overtime drive that helped the Niners pin New Orleans deep in their own territory and force the fumble that set up the game-winning field goal.

With the Saints offense finding life in the second half, it is perhaps not surprising that Roman swayed away from his commitment to the run in the final two quarters.

However, after witnessing Gore gain 81 yards on the ground against one of the better run defenses in the league, Roman will surely put more faith in San Francisco's No. 21, particularly in a clash with a Giants team coming off a nightmarish showing in Seattle.

Giant struggles for New York

Can the Giants stop the 49ers running game? Based on the evidence of the first nine games, the answer is an emphatic no.

In their attempts to defend against the ground attack, New York is allowing 144.7 yards per game but the Giants' defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, who has received plenty of media criticism for their poor performances, is confident his unit can bounce back. 

Fewell's faith in his group is admirable and expected, however, the numbers—both individual and collective—suggest that it is misguided. 

Opponent	Yards Allowed
Detroit	76
Arizona	124
Houston	119
Washington	86
Atlanta	90
Philadelphia	203
Dallas	156
Indianapolis	98
Seattle	350

Even before the debacle at CenturyLink Field, the Giants had allowed opposing offenses to put up 100-yard games on four occasions this season, with their defensive front proving to be one of the worst in the league against the run.

Jason Pierre-Paul actually ranks as the top 4-3 defensive end in defending against the ground game, per PFF, however, his apparent stellar play has been negated by that of Robert Ayers and Mathias Kiwanuka.

Ayers ranks at No. 37 in that same category, while Kiwanuka is dead last.

The disappointing form of the New York's defensive front was brutally exposed by the Seahawks' superb offensive line and Marshawn Lynch, who gashed them for 140 yards and four touchdowns, his final score providing a fine example of the Giants' failings in stopping the run.

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New York's tiring defense makes a number of mistakes on this play. The defensive line gets no penetration and are all easily pushed to the left by the Seattle O-line, allowing Lynch to easily bounce the run to the other side. Antrel Rolle overpursues on the blitz, and Jameel McClain makes the wrong read and is bottled up by the block, giving Lynch the opportunity to run for a 16-yard touchdown almost unchallenged.

The Giants did not learn from that score, however, and committed the same errors in Christine Michael's 45-yard run that set up quarterback Russell Wilson for the game's final touchdown.

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Again, the defensive line is almost completely swallowed up by the Seahawks, creating a huge hole up the middle. Giants linebacker Jacquian Williams—just like McClain—reads the play incorrectly and attacks the outside of the the Seattle O-Line, leaving him with no chance of tackling Michael, who takes advantage and breaks off a huge gain.

Fewell may be adamant that this unit can bounce back, but the evidence indicates otherwise. This is a group that does not appear to learn from its mistakes and looks to have tremendous difficultly dealing with mobile and aggressive offensive lines, a shortcoming that should play perfectly into the hands of the Niners and more specifically, Gore.

The threat of Kaepernick and the aerial attack

One of the major criticisms of the 49ers offense this season is that it has failed to define its offensive identity, with Roman unable to determine whether San Francisco is a passing team or a running team. 

That question was answered in New Orleans as the Niners displayed a renewed emphasis on the ground game, which has another dimension with Kaepernick and his abilities as a dual-threat quarterback and is complimented by an array of weapons in the passing attack.

Kaepernick has barely featured as a read-option runner in 2014. Although Giants defensive lineman Paul, per Dan Graziano of ESPN, has insisted that New York will "take care" of the read-option, this could arguably be considered as the perfect game in which to display his remarkable running ability.

Indeed, Giants fans are unlikely to share Paul's optimism after witnessing their team surrender 107 rushing yards and a touchdown to another of the league's top read-option quarterbacks in Seattle signal-caller Wilson.

With the 49ers struggling in pass protection, an area in which they are ranked at No. 31 in the NFL by Football Outsiders, the Giants' best hope of slowing down run the game may be to get out in front early and prompt a reliance on the passing game from the Niners, which will give New York the chance to disrupt the San Francisco O-Line and potentially add to their tally of 13 interceptions.

Yet if Gore is able to get going quickly, then that will likely open things up for a passing attack that is not as potent as perhaps was expected but still has the weapons in the likes of Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson, both of whom are enjoying strong seasons, to make it a long afternoon for the Giants defense.

What to Expect

It has been an up-and-down season for Gore, whose lack of a consistent workload has limited his numbers.

The former Miami Hurricane has 553 yards on the ground in 2014, however, that total figures to increase significantly given the apparent refocus on the run game by Roman and a matchup that Gore should be relishing. 

Throughout his career, Gore has been known for his vision and patience in allowing the hole to develop. If New York continues its play of the past few weeks, he will not have to wait so long for gaps to open up.

Gore may be heading toward the twilight of his career, but despite his advancing years, he still has the talent to elude defenders and churn out big runs. The 31-year-old is at No. 11 in the NFL in both elusive rating and breakaway percentage by PFF.

It is unrealistic to expect Gore to put up similar numbers to Lynch, particularly on the road. Still, if the Niners stick to the run and are able to control the game, he should be able to put up his best performance of the campaign.

San Francisco's offensive line is set up to run the ball and is likely to have little difficulty dominating New York in the trenches. As long as that scenario plays out, Gore, assisted by the increasingly impressive Hyde, will be in the perfect position to post big numbers against this porous Giants defense.

All statistics courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise stated.

Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers Featured Columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.