Many of you have wondered to what extent Jim Harbaugh contributes to the X’s and O’s of the 49ers offense.
I asked Anthony Dixon yesterday in the locker room if he could give any insight on the subject, and here’s what he said.
Q: Does Harbaugh draw up plays for the offense?
DIXON: Sometimes he just makes stuff up in the room. Like, for instance, I went the wrong way on a play one time and we drew a play off that.
Coach Harbaugh was like, “Ok, that’s the wrong thing, but we like that. Let’s do it like that.”
Next thing you know we had this play, and every time we ran it, he was like, “A.D.!”
I was like, “players make plays!”
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I very seldom make guarantees but i’m going to go out on a limb here. i guarantee if Grgg Roman is’nt with the 9ers next year that regardless of who the new OC is you will have a very difficult time telling the difference between this years game plans and play calling and next years. Like the 9ers under Walsh regardless of who his OC was the offense was very similar. The new OC would tinker with the O but no major changes. When Walsh was here it was his O and game plans and now its Harbaughs.
I will readily buy your warranty! In fact, Harbaugh’s offensive philosophy is intact at Stanford under David Shaw. To be fair, Harbaugh’s philosophy itself must be influenced by those of his assistants who are competent and intelligent. Shaw was with Harbaugh for 6-7 years at Stanford (co-UC with Roman) and USD. Geep Chryst would be a natural successor to Roman if the situation does arise.
I agree Old Coach. What we see is what the offense is and always has been with Harbaugh Coached teams. I keep seeing comments about how they are going to open it up etc. but that is not the philosophy of this Coaching staff.
Hof,
I think the key to the running game is the down and distance. Where I see a problem is Romans stubborness in running on second and long. Once in awhile is fine, but he does it so often with negative results, that we face a lot of 3rd and long yardage situations which is a losing strategy. I don’t mind the power running offense as long as it is balanced and you adapt if it isn’t working. Sometimes Roman is not able to do that.
Problem is that everybody coach and defensive unit in today’s NFL knows that on 2nd and long (7 or more yards), the offense is most likely to run unless the score is out of hand because they want to get the down and distance on 3rd down to a managable distance for the first down. Teams would like to attempt to convert a 3rd and 4 or 5 rather than a 3rd and 7 or more. Your percentages of conversion for staying on the field go from 34% down to around 25% or even less for some clubs.
Problem is the GR needs to have some change up runs out of some different personnel groupings rather than the same old stuff.
Walsh was his own OC.
There’s a good article on Advanced NFL Stats titled, “Running to Create a ‘Manageable’ 3rd Down Is Self-Defeating”
This is the ongoing debate I’ve had with Jack relating to the play calling and the number of runs/passes balanced as compared to the rest of the league. I’ve suggested the 9ers need to pass more since they rank 31st in pass attempts and 6th in rushing attempts. It’s a good read with factual analysis.
Here’s the link:
http://www.advancednflstats.com/2012/10/running-to-create-manageable-3rd-down.html
Looks like Norv Turner is getting kick to the curb after the season, he would be a good replacement when Roman gets a head coaching job for the local high school, but they will probably go with Chryst.
+1
He runs the Coryell system not the WCO or any variant thereof. I do not think he will be a good fit for Harbaugh’s system.
+1
Neal norv runs a completely different offense!
The Roman offense is no great shakes. Norv and Alex need to go to the Cards.
Young Bill Barnwell has written a good analysis of Harbaugh as the “Most Valuable Person’ in the NFL. Value as in the ratio of team success to contract $$, since NFL is in the entertainment business.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8723176/jim-harbaugh-continues-biggest-bargain-football
Sophomoric analysis in this blog of the coaching staff (and F after every loss is laughable) and the front office (didn’t Grant give Baalke a D or a F for the 2012 draft?) fails to appreciate the tremendous value that Baalke/Marathe and Harbaugh/coaching staff bring to this organization. Astute drafting, correct valuation of F.A.s, and timely jettisoning of diminishing veterans are setting up the Niners to succeed in the long haul. Seizing the opportunity to start Kaep and evaluate him this year is probably part of the plan to set for a successful off-season of F.A. and draft. Downside: Smith-haters won’t have Alex to kick around any more next season :)
Mood,
Well said.
The expectations of some fans are borderline unreasonable. To say that this year is SB or bust, isn’t realistic.
Of course, I would love for the 49ers to win the SB, but it’s not that easy.
Let’s say the 49ers have a 70% chance to win any given playoff game, inlcuding the SB. Let’s also say the 49ers have a first round bye. This gives the 49ers a 49% chance of winning the NFCCG, and a 34.3% chance of winning the SB.
If you bump up the 49ers’ winning chances in any given game to 80%, with a bye week, their chances of winning the SB is just 51.2%.
Winning the SB is very hard.
Ex, when the season began, that was the goal and expectation externally and internally. Why has that changed?
The 49ers are still Super Bowl contenders on all accounts from writers across the nation. There are many teams with this same objective. It’s the NFL way.
Bill Walsh used to say that his goal was to position the team at the “base camp” every year to make the assault on the Super Bowl. The best that the team can do is to position itself to make a credible run at the SB year-after-year. It’s impossible to ensure a Lombardi in a given year in these times of salary-cap and free-agency. What Niners did in 1994 season won’t happen again.
The system Turner used with the cowboys, 49ers and chargers is a numbered system it is very different from the hybrid west coast O that Harbaugh runs i see no chance of Turner coming to the 9ers. I would’nt be surprised at all if Turner gets hired as an OC to see Alex Smith follow him.
Arizona, the Raiders or Jets?
I think the jets would be a great fit for both.
The jets or any New York team would be a disaster for smith and turner. Especially Smith. If he had a string of bad games. Wheew! The ny media and fans would destroy any confidence he’s built here.
@ Old Coach
From Sanchez to Alex? Could the NuYoikas handle that? Could Alex? Whew, rough crowd. The Jets do have the best OL of those three. AS doesn’t want to go to AZ with no protection at all and damned little running game.
What about the Raiders?
Raiders have a lot of work to do (see LCs column today) and are heavily invested at QB. Their OL might be only one Blue Chipper and one Over Achiever away from respectability, but they need youth and talent. Its still a possibility, although Al D would roll over in his grave; Kaep’s more his guy! : >)
Does SD keep their GM? If not, who knows what swaps might happen? If they bring in Cowher or someone like him they might want to go blue collar, and get value for Rivers. Wild a** guessing.
Drew Bledsoe in a interview this week said that Giant stadium, is the worst stadium in Football for QB’s with whirling winds, Eli is better on the road, then at home. AS could not handle the crazy New York fans, media or the stadium.
Neil,
they are in a new stadium. The winds are not as bad as the old Giants stadium…
Yeah, besides, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland and The Stick have some hellacious winds too.
SF runs Harbaugh’s offense. Harbaugh learned it from Gruden and Callahan at Oakland. He used it at San Diego state w/o Roman and At Stanford Roman wasn’t even the OC, Shaw was. It does not matter who the OC is because the offense is Harbaugh’s.
FYI, Norv Turner is a Coryell OC and not a WCO guy. Completely different philosophy and terminology.
Harbaugh had to bench Smith before it was going to be too late. This may sound ludicrous, preposterous, and crazy but this is my latest theory on why Harbaugh did what he had to do. Imagine the “Horror” that Harbaugh must of been feeling at the sight of Alex on the field. He has talked about how the “infamous dreaded pitch play” had him feeling like his inwards were being pulled out bit by bit, causing a slow agonozing pain, but a few weeks before watching Alex Smith perform like he was against the Cardinals, Harbaugh was suffering from different kind of pain….called mental anguish. This kind of pain happens when all your hopes, your dreams and those goals and plans you have made for yourself to become the success that you have always imagined for yourself suddenly start to crumble or deteriorate. I have tremondous respect for Harbaugh and what he has done here in San Francisco. It’s nothing short of a miracle. Harbaughs great at what he does in a large part because of his supreme confidence, conviction and the abilities he has when making decisions for his team as their Coach. Does it lead to some arrogance? Yes. Cockiness? Maybe. But all the great ones have it. Without these attributes Harbaugh isn’t where he is at today. Harbaugh believes and will defend (almost to a fault) and without question the decisioon he had made at quarterback. Truth be told this decision had already been made nearly a year and a half ago when Harbaugh became head coach and hand picked Colin Kaepernick in the second round of the 2010 draft. Then the unexpected happened, things were’nt going to plan something was wrong. Alex Happened.
The impossible. Alex got a “Hot Hand”, Alex was playing above expectations. Alex Smith, had just completed 35 of the last 38 passes he had thrown. During that time he had also amassed 385 yards and thrown for 5 touchdowns with only one interception. The “Hot Hand” wasn’t cooling off. Alex was never suppose to be this good. Alex after seven miserable years had proved this…Yes, he did play well last season, but that was only because of Harbaugh and most fans had the feeling Alex most likely was only going to regress. However the opposite was coming true. Alex, being in the same offense for a second year was flourishing and having a career year. Could Harbaugh of been getting more worried with each passing week. Alex was completing 70% of his passes, was the fourth highest rated QB in the league…and the 49ers under Smith’s direction had won 19 of their last 26 games…Despite, all this success I think Harbaugh was troubled more than we imagined. The icing on the cake was Alex being named NFC offensive player of the week. Something had to be done, this wasn’t working in fact a change had to be made. Why?
Going back now with Alex would bruise Coaches ego, hurt his pride. He would have to admit a “mistake”. that are your future have envisioned for yourself for yourself might never ever happen. that
The truth is Smith was never Harbaugh’s guy. Yes, Coach needed him that first year especially with the lockout. Harbaugh knew that Colin wasn’t ready, didn’t have the time to learn the offense. Smith became his QB by default. Harbaugh had to be thinking to himself “Didn’t Alex get the hint when we went after Peyton?”. Smith was never going to be the QB of the “Harbaugh Legacy” Then the concussion happened…now Coach had an opening. Harbaugh officially single handedly ushered in the new era of Colin Kaepernick and the 49er – Harbaugh dynasty. Coach was the one pulling on the strings of the 49er puppet show, only one of these charactars was playing out of character. The better Smith played and the more fan suppport that grew it wasn’t long before Harbaughs plan would be that much more difficult to implement. If Smith would of went on to lead the team to a Superbowl…Colin’s days playing QB in San Francisco would be the ones numbered not Smith’s. Deep down, Harbaugh respected Smith…Harbaugh loved Smith’s loyalty. He liked how Alex would caddy at golf tournaments or how Alex could step in when needed and give a good speech for Harbaugh at the ESPY’s. But Harbaugh never liked the thought or wanted Alex Smith as his long term QB during his tenure at San Francisco. That decision had already been made. It was always going to be Kaepernick. harbaugh’s dilema was Alex’s excellent play was causing the inevitable to become less and less of a reality. Harbaugh has goals, Harbaugh has plans, Harbaugh has an agenda. Harbaugh wants a legacy with the 49ers… it just too bad that Alex was never considered by Harbaugh to be a part of this. I would of loved to have read the book.
I suspect you like conspiracy theory novels/news.
rubber, I say go with Occams Razor. This makes more sense:
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/07/harbaugh-once-vowed-revenge-on-49ers/
than your psychological profiling.
(not that either makes much sense to me at all)
I agree with rubberbandman.
His theory does indeed sound ludicrous, preposterous, and crazy.
Kinda like a Harbaugh presser!
Claude,
You’re being kind.
“Loved to have read the book…”
For crying out loud, you just WROTE the book…fortunately it was only fiction
How is going to the NFC Championship game against Harbaugh’s plans? How is winning 20 games to losing 5 against Harbaugh’s plans? How is calling AS elite and playing good against Harbaugh’s plans? What do you think Harbaugh would like more: Winning or AS sucking it up so he can be justified in a second round pick? Even if Kaepenick never played a down as a 49er no one would have questioned that year’s draft. Most of his other picks were great and if Kaep never played that means the 9ers were winning. You conspiracy theory, like most conspiracy theories, fails to see the other side. Above anything else Harbaugh wants to win and he wouldn’t sacrifice winning to justify a pick in a draft. Besides you can make the case that Smith was Harbaugh’s choice and he would do anything to make sure he would be the guy.
Grant would you delete my previous post. I accidentally sent it before it was complete and makes no sense at all. I hit the post comment accidentally.
Thanks Rubberbandman84. I’ll finish it later and repost. Thanks
Oh! Please don’t repost.
I liked it rubberbandman84. I don’t agree with it, but it was a well written piece.
The point I was making…was simply Alex was never to be the QB of Harbaughs Niners. Colin was that person. Even with P. Manning being brought in AS never quite got the message. Harbaugh has never believed in Smith as that future dynasty and I don’t believe he thought that Alex could win it all even this year. However, the change had to happen soon if not now. Smith was playing better than ever and making even the haters, believers in what he could do. Alex is 28, Kaep is 24. All along in Harbaugh’s mind Kaep was the future and whole heartedly wanted to go this direction at QB. What if Alex continued to improve and even without winning a Superbowl at least got them there. Chances are it would be very difficult to make the change to Kaep at this point. Kaep was making statements to the likes “that, I better see some action soon.” Harbaugh was going to have to make a choice or at some point lose the QB he wanted all along. If Alex continued to play well, continue winning, go to a superbowl. The support to go with Kaep over Alex as the 49ers future would of been in doubt. There is no way Harbaugh could of kept both. Kaep is to competitive. He was leaving town and going to play for someone else if he ever saw that he would be playing behing Alex for a longer time than what he expected. Harbaugh had to make a decision, the concussion and Colin’s play against the Bears gave him the opportunity. Harbaugh wasn’t willing to risk losing CK who he feels has more potential and his choice to be the 49ers future…I don’t know what Harbaugh thinks, but even now he must truly believe that even CK at this point in his development is a better QB than Smith and gives us a better chance than winning out the rest of the year. Why else make the change?