San Francisco 49ers: 2015 NFL Regular-Season Primer
The preseason is complete, final roster cuts have been made and the San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for the 2015 NFL season.
San Francisco's turbulent offseason, which could be considered one of the worst in franchise history, led into a 2-2 preseason effort. Offensively, the 49ers struggled during this stretch with a mere two offensive touchdowns. But on defense, head coach Jim Tomsula's squad proved there is still plenty of fight despite a ton of roster turnover.
With plenty of questions to be answered in 2015, let's break down what will be on the table for the 49ers in the upcoming season.
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Predicting the Record
Predictions for San Francisco's 2015 season range all over the place. And few experts expect the 49ers to make it into the postseason only two seasons removed from three consecutive NFC Championship appearances and one Super Bowl visit.
David Fucillo of Niners Nation predicted back in April the 49ers would finish with a 10-6 record. That number may be a bit optimistic. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN felt San Francisco would go 7-9, while Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated predicts a last-place finish in the NFC West.
Back in February, John Breech of CBS Sports listed the 49ers as having the third most difficult schedule in 2015 with opponents' 2014 winning percentage at .561. And the length of travel will also be tough.
The NFL draft, preseason and injuries have, and will, alter the strength of schedule to an extent. But it's safe to say the 49ers will have some tough games ahead of them this year.
Here is San Francisco's regular-season schedule courtesy of the team's website.
The 49ers will kick off their campaign against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 1. But then San Francisco will have to hit the road versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively.
Other notable difficult contests include matchups against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals. And those tough NFC matchups can't be overlooked either.
An 8-8 finish would be a positive given all that has happened in Santa Clara this offseason.
The Scheme
The insertion of offensive coordinator Geep Chryst and defensive coordinator Eric Mangini means a new approach to San Francisco's offense and defense in 2015.
San Francisco's offense, aside from its running game, was abysmal last season. The 49ers' 306 points for ranked No. 25 in the league. And the passing game was a lowly 30th with just 3,063 yards through the air.
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick was sacked 52 times, and the 49ers signal-caller posted a 86.4 passer rating—his worst since being named starter in 2012.
The addition of wide receiver Torrey Smith helps give San Francisco a different dimension not seen from the 49ers from some time: speed. With this aspect in place, the door should be open for Kaepernick to also find more open receivers like Anquan Boldin, Bruce Ellington and tight end Vernon Davis.
We can see evidence of this from San Francisco's first preseason game versus the Houston Texans.
In this photo, we see Smith lined up to the left. He'll cut across the center of the field towards his right while drawing multiple Houston defensive backs.
Kaepernick will eventually attempt to find Smith with a deep pass (he overthrows it), but notice the single-man coverage on tight end Blake Bell (bottom arrow) and running back Carlos Hyde (top arrow). Boldin is also in single coverage even though he's not in the frame.
Despite the miss, this is the sort of thing that could happen if the 49ers' speed can stretch the field.
But it will also be contingent on San Francisco's offensive line—a problematic issue that was revealed frequently during the preseason.
Running the ball with Hyde, and using swing/screen passes to running back Reggie Bush, could help the O-line as it adjusts to a zone-blocking scheme in 2015. Figure on having the 49ers run heavy to the left with left tackle Joe Staley anchoring this side along with offensive guard Alex Boone moving over next to him.
Defensively, we should expect a more aggressive approach from Mangini.
Former coordinator Vic Fangio rarely rushed more than four players. But Mangini's tendencies to blitz more were seen during the preseason.
The 49ers will probably employ a starting defensive front of Glenn Dorsey, Ian Williams and Quinton Dial along the defensive line. Defensive ends Tank Carradine and rookie Arik Armstead will likely find their way into the rotation on passing downs. Backups like Mike Purcell and Tony Jerod-Eddie will supply the depth.
With outside linebacker Aldon Smith no longer on the roster, one thought is to have the 49ers blitz more from the interior positions.
This tweet from Oscar Aparicio of Niners Nation shows a bit more of what can be expected in 2015:
Blitzes will help San Francisco's defense apply the pressure. But it comes as a risk if it exposes the secondary.
Last season, the 49ers secondary allowed an average of just 221.8 passing yards per game—sixth in the NFL. San Francisco also led the league with 23 interceptions.
Developing cornerbacks Kenneth Acker, Keith Reaser and Dontae Johnson will be expected to step up and fill the voids left by free-agent departures of Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox. The latter two combined for nine of those 23 picks.
Fortunately, the preseason revealed many positives, per Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus.
And the 49ers will hope to get continued strong efforts from safeties Eric Reid, Antoine Bethea and the hard-hitting rookie Jaquiski Tartt.
Players to Watch
San Francisco may not have quite what it takes to get into the postseason. And that's fine if a number of the 49ers' key players have strong seasons and prove they can be cornerstones of this franchise for years to come.
Tartt is one such player who is quickly emerging as a force on the defense. He brings a meanness in the secondary that has largely been absent since the free-agent departure of safety Donte Whitner prior to last season.
Expect Tartt to be used in various packages and in different passing situations on defense. He'll line up as an inside linebacker on certain downs and provide additional coverage in the center of the field when necessary.
And the return/rushing prowess of running back Jarryd Hayne has also been on display during the preseason.
Hyde is also a candidate for a breakout season. With former 49ers back Frank Gore no longer in the picture, the second-year pro will now have an opportunity to helm San Francisco's rushing attack.
The former Ohio State back forced a missed tackle every 3.3 carries per Pro Football Focus—second in the NFL behind Seattle Seahawks back Marshawn Lynch.
And one should continue to monitor All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman's amazing return to action.
But, of course, much of the 49ers' success will hinge on the ongoing development of Kaepernick.
Kaepernick's 2014 campaign was far from stellar. He posted 19 passing touchdowns against 10 interceptions. His progression reads and decision-making processes are going to be closely evaluated this season.
His offensive line may not be the best at protecting him. But an offense that focuses more on Kaepernick's strengths—including his rushing abilities—could help him return to 2012 form.
Conclusion
2015 is going to be a transition year and, potentially, a tough one in San Francisco.
The 49ers are faced with a tough schedule, a slew of coaching and personnel changes, the fallout from player departures and a whole lot more.
Tomsula's group will be tasked with addressing these issues to the best of its ability. It is entirely possible San Francisco turns some heads this season with efforts that exceed what many have predicted this season.
But it's also possible the 49ers turn in a lackluster campaign and wind up at the bottom of the conference.
Perhaps the best long-term scenario will be the development of younger players on this roster. If the majority of these players showcase their talent to a large degree, San Francisco will have the building blocks it needs to reach the status it had not long ago.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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