San Francisco 49ers: Thoughts After Two Wins

I wrote this article after the third preseason game of 2009, detailing who the San Francisco 49ers were as a team. My reactions to their play in the preseason led me to make some statements about the team, as well as identify some areas that appeared to need improvement

I thought I would follow up every few weeks with some impressions about the team, especially considering that they have surprised me along the way.

I know it's only Week Three in the NFL, and we still don't really know most team's true identities—and if we claim to, we're either going to be wrong...or lucky.

That being said, I'll do my best to give some impressions of what the 49ers have shown thus far, and also try to discern which areas constitute a real identity and which are more situational inconsistencies.

Running Game

Well, I had sworn the 49ers would own every team on the ground this year...or at least, I figured, they wouldn't get shut down at all this season.

Week One proved me wrong on that front, but Week Two made me look like a genius. Obviously, the apparent reality of the running game is somewhere in the middle.

The 49ers are a running team. I have no doubt about that. I also don't think that's going to change by season's end. The Arizona game was just downright weird.

First of all, the team didn't run block well at all. Even against eight and nine-men fronts, you have to be able to find a way to get to the second level and expose the lack of defensive depth beyond the line of scrimmage.

Averaging 1.8 yards per carry can't happen again. Ever.

Secondly, the play calling was a little suspect. Maybe the 49ers were trying to convince the Cardinals they would run the ball no matter what so Arizona would be dumbfounded when they threw it. Either way, I'd prefer not to have to win the game on Shaun Hill's arm late in the fourth quarter.

Where was the screen game? That's a run-blitz-beater!

And where was Glen Coffee? If the 49ers are going to bash the ball into the teeth of the defense 30 times a game, they should share the load so they don't kill Frank Gore!

Well, the team recovered nicely in Seattle, displaying that beating a stacked line of scrimmage can be done.

Sure, their yards came mostly on two big plays, but that's because they exposed the weakness in a stacked box. There is little to no help beyond five yards past the line of scrimmage. Gore beat the guys he had to and goodnight.

As I said, the reality of where the running game is at this point lies in the middle somewhere. The 49ers have the ability to beat run defenses, and, if they continue to prove that, we will see more varied fronts, allowing the team to hopefully grind out four to five yards per carry and control the clock.

Passing Game

If the home run touchdown play from Gore can open up the defense, maybe the 49ers won't have to prove as much in the passing game. That's significant because I'm pretty sure the team's pass offense is a slow work in progress.

Hill has done everything asked of him thus far.

People complain about him all the time. He has a noodle arm. He can't make deep throws. He has no mustard on the ball. Blah, blah, blah.

He doesn't lose games.

Hill hasn't thrown an interception yet. The team has only had one turnover through two games, with a differential of plus-two (tied for fourth in the NFL). We all know the truth in the statement: Whoever wins the turnover battle usually wins the game.

Still, there are plenty of areas the 49ers could improve that wouldn't necessarily constitute having a "high flying" passing attack.

Hill has been sacked eight times, second only to Aaron Rodgers' 10 sacks. Every sack has potential for a forced fumble, and every near-sack has the possibility of a bad throw leading to a pick.

Add to that, Hill has only thrown for 353 yards, which places him 28th in the NFL. I'm not as worried about this, though. I think that with confidence, practice with the receivers, and continued success of the run game, the passing game will open up some.

So, to summarize the passing game: It's not losing any games, it's not winning any games, per se. Sure, Hill had the drive in the fourth quarter in Arizona. But, as I said, I don't think anyone wants to rely on that consistently. Let's keep running the ball and let the passing game come.

Defense

I joined the fray in busting on the defense for its lack of pass rush this preseason. The hope from all of us was that 49ers were just in "vanilla" (still hate that word) mode for the exhibition and once they started stunting and blitzing, they'd show more pressure on the quarterback. 

Well, they're still being called vanilla on defense, spending a lot of time in a base package. However, for whatever reason, the pass rush has shown up. 

Thankfully, thus far, the 49ers have really played as a team.

Against Arizona, the defense played as good as you could ask a unit to play, period.  Kurt Warner was on his back more than a promiscuous girl at a frat party. Good thing, too, because the offense couldn't manage to get out of its own way save for the game-winning drive.

In Week Two, the pass rush wasn't nearly as vicious, registering only one sack. The offense definitely stepped up with two huge touchdown runs by Gore to put the game out of reach. 

In both games, though, the run defense has been smothering. The 49ers rank third in the league, allowing only 106 yards rushing through two games. What's more, they haven't given up a single rushing touchdown, either.

Their takeaways are another bright spot. Three interceptions are tied for third in the league, though NFL-wide comparisons are somewhat irrelevant this early in the season.

Conclusions

Thus far, I would conclude the 49ers have improved upon who I "thought they were" in the preseason.

Their running game overall has lived up to expectations, though they really need to be consistent. The offensive line needs to be accountable and continue to improve and execute.

The passing game is doing what we thought it would do...not losing games, but not being flashy by any means. It will need to come along and have its moments at some point down the road in order to win the tough games.

The defense is shaping up to be one of the best in the NFL if it can continue on the path it's on. I think this is the most consistent part of the team thus far.

They haven't gotten lucky or had fortunate bounces of the ball. Instead, they have whipped opponents on nearly every play and won matchups, leading to outstanding team defense. The fundamentals emphasized by the coaching staff in training camp and beyond have obviously paid off.

All in all, I don't think the 49ers fall into the same categories as other teams do at this point in the season.

Often times, when looking at a 2-0 team, there is uncertainty about whether or not it really proves they are a good team. In the 49ers' case, though, I think they've played good, sound fundamental football. I look for them to continue to play well, even in losing efforts, and establish an identity to the world.