Jim Harbaugh: 4 Reasons New Coach Has San Francisco 49ers Winning Again

Jim Harbaugh has the San Francisco 49ers winning on an improbable early season run toward the NFL Payoffs, recently, coming off a commanding 48-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The once powerful 49ers struggled through the last decade to attain the success they had under coaches, Bill Walsh, George Seifert and Steve Mariucci.

Now, the 49ers are 4-1 with a quarterback who has thrown for 965 yards on the season and a team that's winning the turnover battle with eight interceptions and six fumble recoveries.  A team that was predicted to finish at the bottom of the NFC West is riding high due in large part to its head coach Jim Harbaugh.

What is it about this Harbaugh coached 49ers program that has them winning behind Alex Smith?

A Competent Ute

You may not be able to call him a "ute" in the Joe Pesci since of the word, but former Utah Utes quarterback and first round draft pick of the 49ers Alex Smith is playing his most proficient football of his career.

After an exemplary performance on the Wonderlic exam, a test to determine one's potential mental comprehension of the NFL system, Smith has underperformed in each season since being drafted.  Many wondered, even before his selection in the 2005 NFL draft, if Smith was worth the money of a first-round pick. 

It has been joked that Harbaugh would intentionally throw this season to reunite with his former protege Andrew Luck who could fill the void as signal caller.

Smith, however, has come into his own, this season, due in large part to the tutelage of Harbaugh.  With command of the offensive system, Smith has been able to ignite a dormant offense that largely relied on running back Frank Gore.

If Smith can continue to grow in Harbaugh's system, could his name be discussed along with greats Joe Montana and Steve Young?  It's much too early to say, but Smith's development is a very instrumental piece to this suddenly active 49ers offense.

A Football in Hand is Worth...Two in the Wins Column

The 49ers' success can be largely attributed to winning the turnover battle.  In five games, the turnover margin for the Niners is plus-10.

Playing solid football has been key in the 49ers' ability to avoid giving the ball away.  They have avoided fumbles and miscues in the kicking game, but more importantly, quarterback Alex Smith has confidently made his passes without allowing opposing defenses to swipe the ball in mid-air. 

Running back Gore is a beast, so it's doubtful he'll ever have trouble holding on to the ball, and the receivers have done an excellent job of holding on to the football, as well.

This 49ers defense is opportunistic, taking the ball from its opponents at every chance.  Though the secondary is young and not without holes, the defense has tallied eight interceptions on the season.  Adding that to six fumble recoveries and this defense its giving its offense a significant advantage over its opponents.

Can the 49ers continue to protect the ball while stealing it from their foes?

Special Teams Requires Special Players

Special teams has been solid, if not special, behind returner Ted Ginn, Jr. and kicker David Akers. 

For those who follow college football, it is no surprise that Ginn can break a long return at any moment.  Electric at Ohio State, the star kickoff and punt returner has already taken a 102-yard kickoff back for a touchdown.  He's also returned a punt for a 55-yard touchdown. 

Ginn averages 34.3 yards per kickoff return and 11.8 yards per punt return with a mere five fair catches called.  With the ability to get yards after receiving a kick, Ginn significantly enhances the offense's chances of success.

Though Akers has missed a couple of kicks on the season from the 40- to 49-yard range, he has been solid otherwise, including a 55-yard bomb against the Dallas Cowboys.  With a consistent leg and the ability to hit the deep field goal, Akers has proved very useful to a team that will have close victories as the season wears on.

A solid special teams effort can never be underrated, and it looks like Harbaugh has this 49ers special teams unit performing exceptionally in its quest to assist the offense.

Oh Captain, My Captain

The 49ers leadership is at the heart of the success in San Francisco, these days.  Not only does credit go to Harbaugh, but it also goes to President & CEO Jed York who helped orchestrate Harbaugh's arrival.

Before York took over the 49ers organization, the team struggled to find the success it enjoyed under the teams former owner and his uncle Eddie Debartolo.  Those struggles were epitomized by the numerous coaching searches of "new hopes" who soon failed, including Dennis Erickson, Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary. 

Recognizing a successful candidate and passionate coach in Harbaugh, York made an aggressive push to pull the coach away from Stanford while fending away offers from other NFL organizations.  With a keen eye towards the future, York is doing what he can to steady a ship that was previously taking on water.

Is Harbaugh the next Bill Walsh?  It's an amazing comparison isn't it?  Like Walsh, Harbaugh's previous employer was the Stanford Cardinal before taking over a 49ers organization in need of an innovative leader. 

A former NFL quarterback, himself, Harbaugh has turned a terrible quarterback in Alex Smith into a productive tool for the offense.  If he can do that with an average quarterback, what can he do with a more talented quarterback?  One only has to look back at Andrew Luck to answer that question.

With the fire of Jon Gruden and the intellect of Walsh, Harbaugh has this team playing above itself early this season.  Can he continue this trend?  Does it matter?  The culture in San Francisco has changed as this young program has taken on the attitude of its captain. 

It will be exciting to see where the Niners finish and what next season holds.