San Francisco 49ers: 5 Keys to Successful 2011 Season

If the San Francisco 49ers want to have a successful season, a lot of things must go right. If they perform well enough, they have enough talent to win the NFC West.

The good thing for the 49ers is that the preseason games do not count. They have two losses in which they looked lost, especially on the offensive side of the ball. If they want to succeed they will need to fix their old problems from last season and the new problems from training camp.

The team has time to turn things around, but it will need to follow these keys if it wants to have its first winning season since 2002.

Keep Frank Gore

This can become a very delicate situation for the San Francisco 49ers. Frank Gore wants a long-term deal, but the team might not be willing to give too much guaranteed money to a 28-year-old running back.

If the 49ers are unable to come to an agreement, they should still do their best to keep Gore with the team this year.  Anthony Dixon and Kendall Hunter are young running backs that show some talent, but not enough to handle the NFL by themselves.

With Gore as the lead running back, they should be able to use Hunter as a change-of-pace back. If Gore leaves after the season, the team can focus its efforts on acquiring a new feature back.

Win Outside the Division

Despite having pedestrian records the last few years, the San Francisco 49ers have fared well within their division. The 49ers have finished 9-3 within the division over the last two seasons. This has left them 5-15 against the rest of the NFL.

This year the 49ers have a difficult schedule to overcome. Their first five road games are on the east coast and all start at 10 a.m. PST. If they can manage to win a few of their non-divisional games, it will help them take the next step towards a playoff berth.

Decide on a Quarterback

Alex Smith is the current starting quarterback, but that will only be for a matter of time. He has never shown he can be an NFL-quality starter, and this preseason he has looked even worse.

The problem is that Colin Kaepernick is not yet ready to start in the National Football League. Until he is, Smith will remain the starter.

Successful teams do not have quarterback problems. Before they can take the next step, they need to settle their quarterback situation.

Create a Pass-Rush

The San Francisco 49ers did their best to address this issue during the draft when they took Aldon Smith with the seventh overall pick. He is a tremendous athlete who should be able to overpower lineman on his way to the quarterback.

On the other side of the field, Ahmad Brooks will finally get a chance to show what he can do. He has played sparingly in his career, but had started to be successful in passing situations. Now as the starting linebacker, he will be able to succeed in full-time duty.

As a bonus, head coach Jim Harbaugh has said the team will utilize Patrick Willis more in blitz situations. While this is unusual for inside linebackers, Willis is the best at what he does and continues to work to get better and make the team better.

Fix Offensive Line Issues

So far this preseason, the biggest problem with the San Francisco 49ers has been without question the offensive line. Neither quarterback has been able to show what he can do since they have not had enough time in the pocket to succeed.

In the first game against the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers faced blitzing packages that their new system was not ready for. Against the Houston Texans, the offensive line was losing one-on-one battles and giving up sacks. It was unacceptable at this level.

The best offensive lines get better by playing together for a long duration. The 49ers line is talented but young. They will need to work hard to learn the new system and learn how to work well together. In time, this might become a strength of this team.