Warning: Do not continue reading if you are drowsy. The
following list chronicles the Niners’ first offensive plays of the game during
the 2010 season:
Week 1: Frank Gore
up the middle to SEA 25 for 4 yards.
Week 2: Frank
Gore up the middle to SF 11 for 1 yard.
Week 3: Frank Gore up the middle to SF 18 for 5 yards.
Week 4: Frank Gore up the middle to SF 13 for 1 yard.
Week 5: Frank Gore right tackle to PHI 47 for 4 yards.
Unconscious on your keyboard? Drooling on your Droid? C’mon, wake up. This list chronicles the
Niners’ first eight first down-plays against the Eagles on Sunday night:
1-10-SF 49: Frank Gore right tackle for 4 yards.
1-10-PHI 38: Frank Gore left end for -4 yards.
1-10-PHI 17: Frank Gore up the middle for 1 yard.
1-5-PHI 5: Frank Gore up the middle for -2 yards.
1-10-SF 26: Frank Gore left guard for 1 yard.
1-10-SF 42: Frank Gore right guard for 3 yards (fumbles).
1-10-SF 29: Frank Gore right tackle for 2 yards.
1-10-PHI 45: Frank Gore up the middle for no gain.
As I sometimes ask my 7-year-old daughter over homework
at the kitchen table, do you see the pattern? Good! That’s correct. Next
question: Do you think opposing defensive coordinators — even the most
Neanderthal among them — can see the pattern?
OK, this is not to suggest the Niners are 0-5 because
they begin every game with a run to Gore. But it does hint at a larger problem.
That is, the offense, even under the stewardship of Mike Johnson, still has
Mike Singletary’s circa-1985 fingerprints on it.
On the day Jimmy Raye was fired, Singletary said he anticipated
working “hand-in-hand” with Johnson on the offense. And based on what he said
Monday, it’s clear that it’s still a collaborative effort. When asked about the
eight straight first-down runs, Singletary said Johnson was carrying out their —
yes, “their” sounds appropriate — game plan.
“I think Mike was trying to follow through with what we
had talked about during the week,” Singletary said. “This is not a game that we
wanted to go in and just throw the ball all over the place. We wanted to try
and formulate a balance, and as the game got going, you know, there were a
couple of things that were there (in the run game), as we thought they would be,
but for one reason or another it did not happen.”
It may not have happened because even a poor run defense —
the Eagles entered ranked 27th in the NFL — can stop the opponent
if it knows what’s coming. And, based on the numbers, the Eagles weren’t
getting fooled on first down: Gore’s eight first-down runs to start the game
gained five yards.
On the subject of Gore, it’s fair to wonder if the offensive
system is behind his 3.5 yards per carry, 1.3 yards below his career average
entering this season. Granted, there are other possible culprits — the offensive
line, his workload (1,259 career carries) and Alex Smith’s admitted hesitancy
to throw the ball downfield among them. Whatever the reason, Gore is one of two
running backs without a run over 20 yards among the NFL’s top 25 rushers.
After unsuccessfully trying shove Gore down
Philadelphia’s throats on eight straight first downs, the Niners finally mixed
it up. After Smith scrambled for three yards on their next first down, they
passed on eight straight first-down plays. Now, six of those passes were in the
last two minutes of the second quarter — when they were in must-pass mode – but
it’s interesting to note what happened when they eventually called another first-down
run with 11:20 left in the third quarter: Gore gained 16 yards, his
second-longest run of the season.
Gore’s longest run of the
season — a 20-yarder against the Saints — also came on first down. And prior to
that 20-yard run, the Niners had passed on five of their previous seven first-down
plays. (See the pattern? See how the pass sets up the run — not vice versa — in
2010? Good!).
The Niners’ offense has been at its best in hurry-up,
under-duress mode this season. The last-minute march against the Saints. And
the furious final minutes against the Eagles.
On the heels of the late rally against Philly, the stage
seems set for a more up-tempo attack against the Raiders. Smith has pledged to
finally let it rip, Gore has been mostly ineffective and, at 0-5, hasn’t the
status quo proven kind of cruddy?
It will be interesting to see if Singletary, working
hand-in-hand, has talked to Johnson about trying something new this week.
You might not have to wait long to find out.
The Niners’ first offensive play could provide a decent
clue.
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