Anquan Boldin Has Become the Heartbeat of the 49ers' Passing Game

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin isn’t normal.

He’s not normal because he’s never been fast, and at 34 years old, Boldin is getting slower. Way back in 2003 at his scouting combine appearance Boldin ran the 40-yard dash in a glacial 4.71 seconds. Yet he always seems to be open and able to find a slice of green grass.

He’s not normal because despite his top-end speed limitations, Boldin can still break loose after a reception. In 2013 he finished with 502 yards after the catch (including playoffs); precious chunks of field fought for and earned not through speed but instead with rumbling, thrashing physical play.

He’s not normal because on an offense with another far more youthful wide receiver (Michael Crabtree at 27) and a tight end who’s faster and larger (Vernon Davis), an aging wideout is quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s primary focus in the passing game.

No, Boldin is more than that. He’s become the heartbeat of the 49ers passing offense, and their playoff hopes could run through his hands.

The 49ers’ three straight wins have come with a wretched stench offensively. But since winning masks problems and they remain in a tight NFC West race, the smell emanating from the 49ers is like that weird odor in your kitchen you can’t quite track down. It’s there, but you can sort of live with it.

The problem certainly isn’t defense, and it’s not the running game either (119.3 rushing yards per game since Week 10). The possibly fatal 49ers flaw is the passing game or a lack of one. During the Niners’ win streak Kaepernick is averaging only 219.7 passing yards per game.

Grinding away on the ground will become difficult with three of the 49ers’ final five games against defenses currently ranked sixth or better against the run. That’s when a passing weakness could quickly be magnified and exposed.

So for the winning to continue—and for 49ers football in January to continue—the centerpiece of a sputtering passing offense has to be elevated to seek-and-destroy status. Yes, that means even more of Boldin.

San Francisco’s scattered success recently while passing is already running through Boldin, with Kaepernick’s eyes and arm magnetized to his hulking 6’1”, 220-pound receiver.

Boldin was on the other end for 137 of Kaepernick’s 256 passing yards during a Week 12 win over the Washington Redskins. No other 49ers receiver finished with even 60 receiving yards, and Boldin also caught nearly half of Kaepernick’s completions in that game (nine of 20).

Kaepernick has thrown only four touchdown passes since the 49ers’ Week 8 bye, and three have gone to Boldin. The grappling bowling ball of a receiver has had a fine season overall, but it seems offensive coordinator Greg Roman used the bye to slant Kaepernick’s passing focus in Boldin’s direction.

	Total yards	Yds/Game	Targets/Game
Since bye (four games)	378	94.5	9.75
Before bye (seven games)	447	63.8	7.3

That’s a sharp rise of more than 30 yards in receiving production per game. It’s true the 49ers have played some weak secondaries lately, with our deepest sympathies going to the New York Giants (ranked 24th against the pass) and Saints (23rd). Boldin's recent production is impressive regardless, but let’s zero in on the swift uptick in targets.

During that four-game stretch Boldin had been the desired landing spot for 39 of Kaepernick’s throws. Crabtree has been targeted 31 times, but then no other 49ers pass-catcher is above 16 targets.

Even with the closer gap between Boldin and Crabtree there’s little doubt which receiver has become the quarterback’s best bud.

Player	Targets	Yards	% of team receiving yards
Anquan Boldin	39	378	42.1
Michael Crabtree	31	245	27.3

The 49ers are entering a set of games when quickly improving their passing attack is a necessity, and they’re doing it at a time when Boldin’s role as a central figure in that effort has grown.

So with the pedal nearly to the floor already on the Boldin focus, now is the time to pin it.

Inside Boldin is a trapped tight end. That’s how he’s always played, with body positioning to create space and the natural athleticism to win contested balls. Physicality has to be fought with physicality, which is why Boldin will be critical over two upcoming games against the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2013 Boldin was stuffed by Seahawks all-galaxy cornerback Richard Sherman during the first meeting between the two teams and held to only one catch for seven yards. But that was when Crabtree wasn’t healthy, and Seattle’s bruising cornerbacks could focus solely on their physical equal. Over the next two games (Week 14 and the NFC Championship) Boldin caught two touchdowns against the Seahawks on 11 receptions for 146 yards.

Though Boldin’s spiking usage lately is tied to the large target he offers Kaepernick, his success goes deeper. He’s a human rock to the point that the defender attempting to plant him often absorbs more punishment.

A loud example: his 29-yard catch on the 49ers’ eventual game-winning drive Sunday.

Really take a moment to process what happened there, because it shouldn't be possible.

Boldin started in the slot to Kaepernick’s right and ran a straight vertical route. He caught the ball about 22 yards downfield after it slipped through the narrow hole over top of Redskins safety Trenton Robinson, who was playing Boldin to the inside, and in front of the deep safety Ryan Clark.

He caught Kaepernick’s laser through that small peephole after it cleared Robinson’s flailing arm, cradling the ball while bracing for the boom about to be lowered by Clark.

The hit gets a lot worse when we stop time.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Boldin bounced off of that attempted beheading (Clark was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty) to gain four more yards after the catch. He had three catches for 49 yards on that drive alone, setting up a four-yard touchdown run by running back Carlos Hyde.

Which brings us to two more remarkable Boldin numbers during his four-game beast streak. He’s averaged 4.9 yards after the catch per reception, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), despite often taking whacks like that one from Clark. He's also broken six tackles.

Boldin is all muscle, all the time, and if the 49ers passing offense is to find any sort of consistent life during a playoff push, it’ll be through his strength.