What Must Happen for the 49ers to Make the Playoffs

The 49ers are 2-1, but before you proclaim Jim Harbaugh a genius and predict a playoff berth, remind yourself that the 49ers have been in this position before.

Two years ago under Mike Singletary, the 49ers started 3-1 and were first in their division. After starting fast, that 49ers team lost four games in a row and trailed Arizona for the division lead. Another example is in 2008, when the 49ers started 2-1 only to lose six-consecutive games and have their head coach fired.

If the 49ers want to avoid history repeating itself, Harbaugh must keep his team focused and disciplined. However, focus and discipline won't be enough to ensure the 49ers a playoff berth.

The following is a list of what else the 49ers must do if they are to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. 

Alex Smith Keeps on Avoiding Turnovers and the Defense Keeps Causing Turnovers

One of the cardinal rules of football is "don't turn the ball over." You'll notice that every year the top-tier teams have a positive turnover plus/minus.

In 2010, the 14-2 New England Patriots had a turnover plus/minus of plus-28, while the last place Carolina Panthers had a turnover plus/minus of minus-8. This is no coincidence. Turnovers on offense kill drives and give momentum to the opposing team.

However, if your defense can cause turnovers, not only are you keeping the opposing offense off the field, but giving your offense another chance to score. And more often then not, turnovers set up your offense in the opponents' territory or, in other words, prime real estate.  

The 49ers slow start last year was because Alex Smith was turning the ball over, and the defense wasn't causing turnovers. In only five games games, Alex Smith had thrown eight interceptions. The defense on the other hand, had only caused five turnovers, giving the 49ers a negative turnover ratio. 

The obvious difference between the 49ers this year and the 49ers last year is their record. Instead of starting 0-3 like they did in 2010, the 49ers are 2-1. But there is another difference between the 49ers this year and the 49ers last year. The 49ers are not turning over the ball and their defense is creating turnovers.

Through three games, Alex Smith has only thrown one interception and the defense has caused seven turnovers. More importantly, the 49ers, so far, have a positive turnover ratio. Alex Smith understands it's unnecessary to risk turning the ball over and to instead punt the ball when you have a seventh-ranked defense.

It is true that the opponents the 49ers have faced so far have been easier then the opponents the 49ers faced last year. But if the 49ers maintain their positive turnover ratio, they will be competitive no matter how good the team is. 

Beat Seattle in Seattle...And Capitalize on the Weak NFC West

Let's face it folks, the NFC West is the worst division in football, maybe in all of sports. It was the NFC West after all that was responsible for the first 7-9 team to make the playoffs, the Seattle Seahawks.

However, the Seahawks are no laughing matter when it comes to defending their home turf, Qwest Field . It was on their home turf that they stunned the defending Super Bowl champions. It was also on their home turf that they beat the 49ers 31-6 last season.

It has been a house of horrors for the 49ers, whose record is 3-6 at Qwest Field. The Seahawks are so successful at home because Qwest Field is one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, so loud that opposing offenses will miss snap counts and commit false starts. The stadium was even loud enough during Marshawn Lynch's run for the ages to cause an earthquake.

As mentioned above, the NFC West is a gathering of the worst teams in football. The 49ers should consider themselves fortunate that they get to play these bad teams six times a year.

The more wins the 49ers have in their division, the less pressure there is for the 49ers to win there non-division games. With six easy wins, the 49ers will only need a couple wins outside of their division to clinch a division title and a playoff berth.

Yes, Seattle is the least threatening team in the NFC West, but perhaps the biggest obstacle stopping the 49ers from going undefeated in their division is beating Seattle in Seattle. 

Beat the 'Dream Team' (Philadelphia Eagles) and Cleveland Browns

At the beginning of the year, many would have put the Eagles' game in the loss column for the 49ers. However, things have changed for the Philadelphia Eagles since the beginning of the season.

The "Dream Team" can't stop the run, Michael Vick is battered and has a bruised a right hand, and oh yeah, they're 1-2. The timing can't be any more right for the 49ers to pull off the upset in Philadelphia.

The 49ers have shown they can rush the passer and must take advantage of the fact that Philadelphia's offensive line can't protect the franchise QB. This game also presents a perfect opportunity to get the running game going. 

Unlike the Eagles' game, the Browns' game was one of the few non-division games that some thought the 49ers had a chance of winning. Though the Cleveland Browns are 2-1, their two victories were against winless teams and by a combined nine points. Their one loss came from the Cincinnati Bengals, a team the 49ers have already beaten.

Also unlike the Eagles' game, the Browns' game is later in the schedule. This will be a critical time in the schedule because it marks the beginning of the end of the 49ers non-division schedule, and what follows is a stretch of five division games. A win against a non-division foe will give the momentum the 49ers needed to win those five division games and complete a sweep of the NFC-West. 

Overall, the 49ers need to win at least three non-division games to ensure a playoff spot. And this is all assuming that they sweep the NFC West. They already have one non-division victory, and have a chance to get a second non-division victory this Sunday when they play the exposed Philadelphia Eagles. 

Demote Chilo Rachal and Anthony Davis

Something must be done to fix an offensive line that is not opening any holes for Frank Gore and has already given up 11 sacks through three games.

Sacks kill drives and it isn't fair to ask Alex Smith to have to convert a 3rd and 20. How many times against the Dallas Cowboys were the 49ers in field-goal range, only to have to punt the ball after a Cowboys sack put them out of field-goal range? To be more specific, something must be done to fix the right side of the offensive line. 

Chilo Rachal has done little to show the 49ers that he was worth a second-round pick. Rachal's strengths are in his run blocking, but he has lacked in that department so far. Just look at Gore's 2.5 average yard per carry. Yes, it isn't all of Rachal's fault that the offensive line isn't opening up holes for Gore, but Rachal also has been hurting the team in pass protection.

Rachal had never been known as a decent pass blocker coming out of USC, but he has been even worse in the pros. There was hope, though, that Rachal would improve in this area after reporting to training camp 30 pounds lighter.

However, through three games he has been so erratic that he was even benched in last week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. In that game, he allowed two sacks and committed three penalties, including a holding penalty.

It's time to replace Rachal with Adam Snyder. Snyder is not much of an improvement over Rachal in terms of pass protection, but he is a six-year veteran who will not commit the same knuckle-head penalties that Rachal has been responsible for. Another option is the 49ers fifth-round draft pick, Daniel Kilgore. Kilgore is only a rookie, but had a strong preseason.

Now this is going to be hard for 49ers fans to swallow, but Anthony Davis needs to be benched. I know it doesn't make sense to bench your first-round draft pick, a top 15 pick nonetheless, only after a year. But Anthony Davis's play has been that alarming.

In his rookie season, Anthony Davis gave up 10.5 sacks and was flagged nine times. So far, he is on pace to allow that many sacks again. Unlike Rachal, pass protection was supposed to be a strength of Anthony Davis. His play has suggested otherwise, but more importantly Davis just looks lost on the field.

Time on the bench will allow Davis to refocus and, who knows, may even motivate him. I am not suggesting that the 49ers should already cut their losses with the first-round pick, but remember, Harbaugh is not part of the regime that was responsible for drafting Anthony Davis. 

Adam Snyder is an option to sub in for Anthony Davis as he has played right tackle before. Another option is Alex Boone. The downside, though, is that despite Boone being in the NFL for three seasons, he has little playing experience. It would not hurt though to throw these young players like Kilgore and Boone to the wolves. If they struggle, then they can be replaced by veterans.

The bottom line is that something, anything must be done to fix the offensive line. And if they're successful, then Alex Smith could have time to throw the ball and Frank Gore could run for more then 2.5 yards. Speaking of Frank Gore, let's move on to the next slide. 

Give Kendall Hunter More Carries

I just want to start off by saying how invaluable Frank Gore has been to the 49ers. It is really a shame that the 49ers couldn't muster a winning season when he was in his prime.

Sadly, it now appears that Gore has begun to decline. It was only a matter of time, as running backs have short shell lives in the NFL and Gore is 28. That's two years away from what is considered the expiration date for running backs.

Gore has also been dealing with injuries the past couple seasons, including suffering a fractured hip last season that kept him out of five games. Throw in the fact, that Gore has already carried the ball over 1400 times and it's surprising that the decline hasn't happened sooner. As of right now, Gore's running average is 2.5.

In Gore's defense, his offensive line has not done a good job of opening holes. Still Gore has appeared sluggish and isn't breaking tackles like he use to. In his prime, it would take a gang of tacklers to bring him down, and now all it takes is an arm tackle. To make matters worse, Gore suffered an ankle injury against the Cincinnati Bengals. Enter Kendall Hunter.

Kendall Hunter opened eyes in the preseason with his 53 yard touchdown run against the Oakland Raiders. Although against the Bengals, he only rushed for 29 yards, yet he still scored a touchdown.

Hunter and Gore are not similar running backs, but would be nice complements to each other. Hunter is more of the Bryan Westbrook mold, while Gore is a bruising running back. Splitting carries between the two complements would keep defenses on their toes, forcing the defense to use different packages. And giving more carries to Kendall Hunter would help preserve whatever Gore has left in the tank.

Of course though, this will not sit well with Gore. Gore has been known as a competitive player. An example is when Gore fractured his hip and trainers had to hide his helmet when Gore still insisted on playing.

Giving more carries to Hunter could light a fire under Gore. It worked for Fred Taylor, who when got his carries taken away by Maurice Jones Drew, responded by rushing for more then 1200 yards in 2007. Fred Taylor was 31 at the time, one year past his expiration date. 

Kendall Hunter has an opportunity this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles to earn more carries. As mentioned in the previous slide, the Eagles have had issues stopping the run. Gore will also be going into the game Sunday with a bum ankle and most likely be limited to 15 carries.

If Hunter can impress, then not only will the 49ers be getting another offensive weapon, but can help delay Frank Gore's inevitable decline. 

Michael Crabtree Grows Up

When Michael Crabtree was drafted 10th overall by the 49ers, the 49ers and many other draft analysts thought they were getting the best player in the draft.

In his third season, Crabtree has shown glimpses of the receiver people saw at Texas Tech, but overall has not come close to meeting the 49ers expectations. He has mental lapses, doesn't give 100 percent, and can act like a diva. To make matters even worse, Crabtree made headlines this summer by throwing his quarterback under the bus.

Hmmmm, sound familiar? Well, that's because another 49er was in the same position. The 49er I'm referring to is of course, Vernon Davis.

Like Crabtree, Vernon Davis was in his third season and still had not met expectations that come with a top 10 draft pick. Like Crabtree, he had shown glimpses of the tight end people saw at Maryland, but was held back by his flamboyant egotistical attitude. And like Crabtree, Davis made headlines in the offseason when he got in a fight with a teammate during practice.

But then on October 27, 2008 Mike Singletary had enough of Davis's antics. And when Davis showed no remorse after drawing a foolish 15 yard unnecessary-roughness penalty, Singletary banished him to the locker room. From then on, Vernon Davis would get serious.

The next season, Vernon Davis lead tight-ends in touchdown receptions. And in 2010 he was named an offensive captain. Give credit to Singletary for turning Vernon Davis's career around, but also give credit to Davis for realizing that his bad attitude was holding him back.

Now it's time for Michael Crabtree to do the same. Especially since the 49ers splash free agent signing and No. 1 wider receiver, Braylon Edwards, will be out for awhile.

Let Patrick Willis Loose...For the Sake of the Secondary

A middle linebackers strength is in tackling, not pass rushing. Don't tell Patrick Willis that though.

Last year Patrick Willis had a career high in sacks and showcased his ability to rush the passer. Vic Fangio vowed to use Patrick Willis more in blitz packages, but through three games Willis has yet to register a sack.

Though the 49ers rushers have gotten the job done without help from Willis, Willis is being underutilized. Part of coaching a player properly, is not capitalizing on just one of the player's talents, but all of the player's talents.

One will argue that blitzing Willis will leave the rest of the linebackers corps exposed. However, this is not the case with the emergence of Navorro Bowman. When Bowman was drafted by the 49ers, many questioned whether he could make the transition from a 4-3 OLB to a 3-4 MLB. However, in his first season as a starter he has shown the athleticism necessary to make the transition. 

Lastly, using Patrick Willis as a pass rusher would only give the opposing quarterback less time to throw the ball. Less time for the opposing quarterback to throw makes the secondary's job easier–the one sore spot on the 49ers' defense.

Yes, it is true that the 49ers signed proven defensive backs, such as Donte Whitner. But these defensive backs only provide depth. They are marginally better then what the 49ers previously had at the position.

However, the great thing about pressure is that it makes your secondary better. An average cornerback can look like Darrelle Revis if he plays on a defensive line that leads the league in sacks. And it never hurts to have as many pass rushers as possible, which brings us to our next slide...

Figure out How to Use Aldon Smith...Somewhere! Anywhere!

The 49ers defense last year had issues pressuring the quarterback, which is why they spent their first round draft pick on pass rushing specialist Aldon Smith. Aldon Smith played with his hands in the dirt as a defensive end in college, but the 49ers want him to play standing up as an outside linebacker.

There's just one problem. They can't find anywhere to play him!

As mentioned above, the 49ers defense struggled last year when it came to getting to the quarterback. The 49ers supposed pass rushing specialists, Parys Haralson and Ahmad Brooks, underachieved and combined for only nine sacks last season. It has been a different story though so far this year, with Haralson and Brooks playing at a high level. This puts the 49ers and Aldon Smith in an awkward position, as Smith was expected to win the starting outside linebacker position at some point this season.

There is always the option of letting Aldon Smith play in his more natural position, defensive end. But just like Haralson and Brooks, the defensive line starters are playing at a high level. 

Regardless, the 49ers must find somewhere to play their first round draft pick. As mentioned in the previous slide, there is no such thing as too many pass rushers. And Aldon Smith showed in the preseason that he is ready to rush the passer, especially when he played with his hands in the dirt.

Smith did though look uncomfortable in zone coverage and may not be ready to play the outside linebacker position. One suggestion is to use Smith in third and long situations. However, he should be used as a defensive end and not as a linebacker.

There is another problem though, who will Smith substitute in for? The answer is Isaac Sopoaga. Sopoaga has flourished in his new role as a nose-tackle, but a nose-tackle is much more effective in stopping the run then rushing the passer.

Yes, it is taboo in the 3-4 to play without a nose-tackle. And yes, it will be harder for the linebackers to rush without a nose-tackle eating up space. But a defensive line that already includes Justin Smith and Ray McDonald is already fearsome enough on third down. Substituting in Aldon Smith makes that defensive line even scarier.

Jim Harbaugh Trusts His Offense More as the Season Progresses

The 49ers offense this season has been...well boring. Boring isn't necessarily a bad thing, as by being boring the 49ers offense has limited its turnovers.

Critics will make comparison to the predictable, run heavy offense Singletary ran last year. But critics should be wary of such comparisons. Remember Jim Harbaugh is a rookie NFL head coach in a shortened offseason.

Harbaugh just hasn't had enough time with his players yet to call any gutsy plays. However, there will come a time when the 49ers are down by a considerable amounts of points and have to play catch up. Boring, predictable calls will not cut it. Instead the 49ers will have to open up the field, substitute the full back out, use three wide receiver sets, and let Alex Smith set up in the shot gun formation. 

Against the Cincinnati Bengals, the 49ers waited till the third quarter to take shots downfield when Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis for 39 yards. I understand if a team has the lead and plays conservatively the rest of the game to hold that lead. But in this case the 49ers were not in the lead, and had been losing since the first quarter.

Fortunately for the 49ers their opponent was the Bengals, and the Bengals lead was only three points. The 49ers cannot wait this long, though, to take shots downfield against teams that are better then the Bengals.

Harbaugh needs to learn how to get his offense going in the beginning of the game and save the conservative play calls for the fourth quarter. If Harbaugh is going to accomplish this, he must trust his offense more with each passing Sunday. 

Play 60 Minutes of Football

If the 49ers had played 60 minutes of football against the Cowboys they would be 3-0. Instead they played only 45 minutes and choked away a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter.

It happens to every team, but the 49ers have been making a habit out of it lately. Just look back at last years game against the Atlanta Flacons. The 49ers needed to stop the Falcons one more time to seal the deal. And they did just that, or so it appeared.

Nate Clements intercepted Matt Ryan's pass only to fumble the ball when trying to return the interception for a touchdown. The Falcons got the ball back and Matt Ryan marched down the field, where Matt Bryant kicked a game winning field goal.

If the 49ers are to make the playoffs, they must finish games. The 49ers last year could have been 2-2 instead of 0-4, if they had finished games against the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Unlike the 49ers team though last year, this 49ers team showed that it could learn from their mistakes.

After making the mistake of not finishing the game against the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers made sure they would not make the same mistake against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 49ers had a 13-6 lead against the Bengals with two minutes left, and Andy Dalton had one last chance to tie the game up and send it to overtime. The old 49ers would of let Andy Dalton march down the field and do just that.

But these aren't the old 49ers. They're Jim Harbaugh's 49ers.The 49ers let Andy Dalton get all the way to the 49ers 32 yard line. Just when it looked like the Bengals would tie up the game, Harbaugh's 49ers intercepted Andy Dalton's pass. And for the cherry on top, Harbaugh had Andy Lee take a safety to kill even more time off the clock and to effectively seal the deal. 

Playoff teams finish and Harbaugh's 49ers must finish every game like they did against the Bengals. Even if the 49ers accomplish all of the things listed in this slide show, it doesn't matter if they can't finish.

I can't imagine nothing worse for a player that is sitting at home, watching the NFL playoffs, thinking to himself that he could be there, if only him and his team had played all 60 minutes–instead of just 45.   

Conclusion

The 49ers are in good position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. But remember the 49ers have been in this position before, only to see their playoff hopes fade away.

However, Harbaugh can make sure his 49ers don't make the same mistakes those previous 49er teams made, by shaking the roster up, using the most of his players abilities, capitalizing on winnable games, and lastly finishing games.

Go 49ers!