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Consistency the Key for Playoff-Bound 49ers
Published: May 27, 2009
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Following the departure of head coach Mike Nolan in Week 8 of the 2008 regular season, the San Francisco 49ers finished the season 5-4 under interim head coach Mike Singletary, including wins in four out of their final five games.
The late surge was enough for 49ers owner Jed York to remove the interim tag from Singletary’s title and give the head coach full reign heading into a pivotal 2009 season.
Consistency, both in personnel and message, is an organizational trait that most NFL teams strive to reach, primarily because it translates into wins on the field.
But with offensive coordinators rotating in and out of San Francisco for the past half decade, finding consistency on the offensive side of the ball has been an act of futility.
By shunning the big-name hires and continuing with the message Singletary sent to his players a season ago, York has taken a calculated risk in the name of consistency.
“These guys want to win, and they’re excited about winning,” Singletary told the NFL Network following the 2009 NFL Draft. “They’ve had a taste of it, they know they can win (and) they believe in each other. The tempo around here, the tone – we’re ready to go when it’s time to go.”
With the hire of new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, Singletary has shown a desire to return the focus of the offense back into the deserving hands of its most dangerous weapon, tailback Frank Gore.
In 2006, under Norv Turner, Gore was the NFL’s third leading rusher, and was also the Niners’ top receiver. Raye is a Tuner disciple and has made it clear that Gore will be the workhorse once again this season.
San Francisco added the services of former Pittsburgh tackle Marvell Smith to bookend the offensive line alongside Joe Staley, who has proven to be a top-line left tackle in just two seasons.
The addition of Michael Crabtree to a receiving corps guided by veteran Isaac Bruce and highlighted by vertical threats Josh Morgan and Jason Hill was a bit of a coup for the Niners, who had no idea the Texas Tech wideout would slip to the No. 10 pick.
With tight end Vernon Davis hungry to ascend to the upper echelon at his position, and the return of fullback Moran Norris, the biggest question mark remains at quarterback.
Former No. 1 pick Alex Smith took a pay cut this offseason to remain with San Francisco, a surprisingly selfless move that gives the Niners cap flexibility and the chance to head into training camp with a relatively even and good-natured quarterback controversy between Smith and the incumbent starter, Shaun Hill.
“I’m excited about it,” Hill told the NFL Network’s Michelle Beisner during minicamp. “Alex and I, we’ve both been in this situation before, we had to compete last year. We handled it well. Mainly we’re just excited, I know I’m excited about this team and what we have in front of us.”
The knock on Hill is his arm strength, as his passes often lack the zip that many of his NFL counterparts produce on a regular basis.
But Hill’s decision-making is his best asset in the pocket, and, time and time again, quarterbacks that can move the offense without making critical mistakes have proven to be winners in the NFL.
In eight starts a year ago, Hill completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,046 yards and turned in a solid 87.5 quarterback rating.
“I think (the quarterback competition) is going very well,” Singletary said. “Thankfully, we’ve got a great quarterback coach in Mike Johnson that’s really doing a good job of giving them the information they need as well as the technique.
“(Smith and Hill) are friends first. They go out there and compete every day. Once they get on the field, they’re getting after it. In a while we’re going to know which one of those guys is going to step forward.”
BREAKING DOWN THE SCHEDULE
Taking a look at San Francisco’s 2009 schedule, I see the Niners turning in a 10-6 campaign, which should be enough to qualify for the postseason.
Here’s how I have things shaking out. Feel free to drop me a comment with how you see the 2009 season unfolding.
WEEK OPPONENT
1 @ Arizona (L)
2 Seattle (W)
3 @ Minnesota (W)
4 St. Louis (W)
5 Atlanta (W)
6 BYE
7 @ Houston (W)
8 @ Indianapolis (L)
9 Tennessee (L)
10 Chicago (W)
11 @ Green Bay (L)
12 Jacksonville (W)
13 @ Seattle (L)
14 Arizona (W)
15 @ Philadelphia (L)
16 Detroit (W)
17 @ St. Louis (W)
