5 Questions the San Francisco 49ers Need to Answer Before Week 1

Needless to say, it was an inauspicious debut for the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 12, a 24-3 preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints. And yet it means nothing. Remember, this team raised expectations last year with a 4-0 preseason record yet finished the season at 6-10, earning a spot as one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams.

 Looking back to the New Orleans game, 49er fans have to wonder, what is going on? Six sacks? The first four times Alex Smith drops back he’s whacked or sacked? There was no offensive continuity, only 109 yards in offense in the first half (and that on an improvised scramble by a rookie quarterback), and an overall sense that the Niners were waaaaay behind.

 Or are they?

 Remember, that was new coach Jim Harbaugh’s first game as a head coach. And it isn’t exactly the easiest place to play. First and foremost, the Superdome serves the Saints like few home fields do: It’s loud, it’s fast and they know how to inspire the crowd. Even though this game was not a complete sellout, it’s still like going into a hot basketball team who uses the home-court advantage to the fullest.

 Which does nothing to excuse 49er miscues like poor execution and poor judgment? They are lucky to escape without any major injuries (to Smith in particular). But the game raises serious issues, and here are five questions the San Francisco 49ers have to answer before Week 1.

San Francisco 49ers: 5 Questions That Need to Be Answered Before Week 1

Needless to say, it was an inauspicious debut for the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 12, with a 24-3 preseason loss to the New Orleans Saints. And yet it means nothing. Remember, this team raised expectations last year with a 4-0 preseason record, yet finished the season at 6-10, earning a spot as one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams.

Looking back to the New Orleans game, 49er fans have to wonder, what is going on? Six sacks? The first four times Alex Smith drops back, he’s whacked or sacked? There was no offensive continuity, only 109 yards in offense in the first half (and that on an improvised scramble by a rookie quarterback) and an overall sense that the Niners are waaaaay behind.

Or are they?

Remember, that was new coach Jim Harbaugh’s first game as a head coach. And it isn’t exactly the easiest place to play. First and foremost, the Superdome serves the Saints like few home fields do: It’s loud, it’s fast and they know how to inspire the crowd.

Even though this game was not a complete sellout, it’s still like going into a hot basketball team that uses the home-court advantage to the fullest.

Which does nothing to excuse 49er miscues like poor execution and poor judgment. They are lucky to escape without any major injuries (to Smith in particular). But the game raises serious issues, and here are five questions the San Francisco 49ers have to answer before Week 1.

Will the Center Hold?

As in, not in grabbing the nearest defensive linemen and bringing him down. More like, holding one’s own. Adam Snyder, in his first start, nearly took Alex Smith’s head off with his first snap in the shotgun. Smith bobbled the snap, forcing him to take his eyes off his initial reads.

That slight miscue threw off the timing of the play and Smith ended up taking a huge hit.

Two things happened that can give opposing teams insight into the 49ers. First, the center is shaky in the simplest but most crucial of tasks—the exchange of the football. Second, the entire line looked unprepared for blitz packages.

If anything, other defensive coordinators will see the 49er struggles and construe all kinds of exotic packages to attack the pocket, a real bad sign for the 49ers this year.

Or is it?

It’s the first preseason game. The team had two weeks of practice. The Saints play like fanatic natives in the Superdome. It was a poor performance, to be sure. But that doesn’t mean that the Niners can’t improve.

Furthermore, the 49ers do have another center, former Saint Jonathan Goodwin, on the roster. He has been to the Pro Bowl. He also only had one week of preparation with the 49ers, but there’s a chance that Goodwin might be starting when the Niners face the Raiders on Saturday.

That transition would make Snyder a valued backup at either guard spot. In other words, there’s a chance that personnel decisions are still going on.

However, it’s clear to 49er fans that holding off blitzers, making the right audible calls for proper protection, is going to be essential for success this season.

Where Were or Who Made the Line Calls?

This is a team that has decided strengths and weaknesses, and among the former for the 49ers is the offensive line. Joe Staley is one of the best left tackles in the game, and left guard Mike Iupati and right tackle Anthony Davis are going to be good. Question marks hang around Snyder and right guard Chilo Rachal.

Yet in the ensuing series, 49ers linemen and tight ends (both Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker) either mis-read the Saints defense or just missed rushers. Davis was beat in an embarrassing way on another play.

What one has to wonder is if there were any interior line calls to call out blocking schemes against the New Orleans blitz. Usually, those initiate with the center. But tackles and guards can initiate calls, too. And it’s obvious that mistakes were made, either in lack of call or lack of hearing.

It all led to an offensive line performance that was shaky at best. For the 49er fan, it seemed like another indication that this team will not overcome basic faults of lack of talent and execution. The most pessimistic of fans might see another dismal season ahead.

Or will they?

The 49ers are learning a new system. It takes time. Like a high school student who does well in Geometry but gets shocked with his first Algebra II exam, there’s a transition to the next level. There’s no doubt that the Saints, under Williams’ defensive schemes, played a more advanced game plan than what the 49ers expected.

If this had happened in Week 1, then the cries of “What’s going on?!” would have more weight. It’s only right to take a wait-and-see approach.

Was Harbaugh Holding Back the Offense?

Perhaps the most telling thing said during the game came from color commentator Tim Ryan. In working many 49er games last year for Fox Sports, Ryan said that opposing coordinators had a simple solution to San Francisco. “They said, ‘we just follow Mike Iupati into the hole.'”

In other words, last year’s offense had a major key for defenses to read, making their chances of success so much greater. What 49er fans hope for is a more diverse, innovative offense. At Stanford, Harbaugh was known for his unique formations that emphasized the talents of his players. Against the Saints, we saw nothing of three tight-end sets, no unbalanced lines or unique receiver-running back groupings.

What we saw was Football Formations 1A—split backs, one tight end and two wideouts. Call it Bonehead English in the West Coast offense. Of course, in such alignments the fact that the Niners couldn’t pick up blitzes and missed assignments is not all that reassuring.

Or is it?

Most coaches do not show complicated rushing or blitzing schemes in the first preseason game. New Orleans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams obviously felt differently. He sent seven on the first play of the game.

Harbaugh may not have realized that Williams was capable of such a thing. At the same time, Harbaugh’s post-game comments suggested that he’s not all that worried about it; the team will make adjustments.

Here’s another possibility: Maybe the 49ers have been working on different formations and personnel packages that were not used against the Saints. So, when they went into their “vanilla,” or plain, alignments they weren’t familiar with their responsibilities.

The problem with that theory is that missed assignments in the NFL can mean full-speed access to a quarterback’s blindside, which happened more than once to Smith. That can end a career. It certainly doesn’t create confidence.

Can the 49ers Stretch the Field?

Smith’s best pass play was a 10-yard slant to Braylon Edwards, and though Colin Kaepernick did complete a longer pass on his first series, it seemed the 49ers were playing the Saints in a telephone booth.

Compacted and cloistered, there was little room for interior running—and the passing lanes seemed just as clogged.

You have to wonder if the Niners are capable of spreading the field. Of course, it helps to have a quarterback whose arm is strong enough to reach the sidelines and in a hurry.

Or does it?

It comes back to pass protection. Throws downfield and even those of medium length toward the sidelines require some pass protection. They definitely require clear vision and a stable pocket initially to allow the quarterback the time to see the field. Rushed or “blind” throws to away from the middle of the field, when intercepted, often lead to the other team running towards a touchdown—the dreaded “pick six.”

But then, the Niners didn’t really throw downfield, nor did they unveil any new formations. As for throwing downfield, Smith’s arm is not the strongest, to be sure. But Edwards definitely has the speed. So does Ted Ginn Jr. But the Saints game suggested that any play that called for Smith or Kaepernick to stand for more than three seconds in the pocket was an invitation for serious physical harm.

It’s up to the coaching staff and the 49er players to improve on this part of the game.

Does the QB Have To Run for His Life?

Perhaps the most frightening element of the Saints game is the fact that the only big first-half plays came from Kaepernick’s legs and arm. Of course, this can only fuel the call for Alex Smith to be bagged and shipped abroad. The fact that the 49ers are bringing in Dante Culpepper for a workout also suggests that the team is still very much unsettled at quarterback.

Or does it?

Harbaugh has always said that the team needs to add a veteran quarterback to the roster. Culpepper is a start. But the most pertinent question is who the starter will be.

Despite Kaepernick’s physical talents, having him drop back and then “scramble out of it” for big plays—which is essentially what he did in New Orleans—is a recipe for disaster on both the team and the individual level.

First, it does nothing to inspire confidence among players. Second, it will shorten Kaepernick’s career.

No doubt Harbaugh has plans to expand the offense and give Smith more chances for success to boost his confidence, all the while letting Kaepernick learn by osmosis. At the same time, the season opener is less than a month away and the 49ers looked like they were about a year away from being ready for the NFL.

That has to change before Week 1.