Why San Francisco 49ers' Red-Zone Woes Will Haunt Team All Season

The San Francisco 49ers have struggled all season long to score touchdowns inside the red zone.

This trend was at the forefront of the team's Week 14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, with David Akers once again highlighting the 49ers' red-zone woes by kicking field goals instead of extra points.

Last week, I wrote a post titled, "Special Teams Huge Part of 49ers' 10-2 Start." The point was to recognize that the 49ers are dependent upon their special teams to win the field position battle, thus giving their stellar defense chances to capitalize upon the mistakes of their opponent. 

This strategy has been so successful for the 49ers thus far because their defense has been dominant, only allowing 13 points a game until the Cardinals hung 21 points on the scoreboard in the Week 14 loss. 

Another reason the 49ers have been successful this season is due to the fact that they lead the NFL with a plus-21 turnover ratio, meaning that they have had 21 more possessions than their opponents this season. 

All that to say this: When the 49ers defense is on point, giving up few points and creating turnovers, the team can afford to settle for field goals in the red zone.

Unfortunately for the 49ers and their fans, this isn't always what happens in reality.

When you consider that the 49ers have the worst red-zone offense in the NFL, only scoring a touchdown 35 percent of the time, I think it's safe to say it has haunted the team all season long. It's a disturbing distinction for a team that has the second-best record in the league.

I have long been one of the voices defending the 49ers' timid approach in the red zone. I had hoped these problems would slowly begin to dissipate as the playoffs approached. Surely, things would get better, right?

After all, don't the 49ers still have a man by the name of Vernon Davis on their roster? 

Davis was Gronkowski before Gronk came into the NFL. He tied the NFL record for touchdowns by a tight end a couple of years ago when he caught 13.

Where is he in the 49ers' plans?

In the team's embarrassing loss to the Cardinals, Davis was only targeted three times, catching one pass for 32 yards. 

I don't understand the logic behind this. After all, it's not like the 49ers are utilizing his pass-blocking skills to great results. The 49ers have given up 18 sacks in the last three games using Davis as a blocker more often than not.

Then there is the question of play-calling by Greg Roman. Early in the season, I attributed the team's conservative approach in the red zone to a team that still needed to become acclimated to a new system. 

It's been 14 weeks, though, and still the team continues to baffle me with its play-calling decisions in the red zone.

It seems clear to me that head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff have made their minds up about what the team will and will not do. 

They will continue to run the ball inside the red zone, and they won't allow Alex Smith to lose games with his arm. They will continue to play the field position game, and the 49ers will continue to struggle in the red zone.

Unfortunately, this is a recipe for losing in the playoffs. The teams that make it to the tournament won't be stopped so easily, even against the 49ers' impressive defense. Do you honestly think, after watching John Skelton carve up the secondary, that Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees will struggle to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers? 

I sure don't. With the 49ers offense struggling to do anything in the red zone, I see an early exit for the team in the playoffs if things don't change in this regard.