There’s Still One Animal That’s Fit for Vick

One our most respected modern day philosophers, Dr. Cornell West, once wrote:

“To prophesy is not to predict an outcome but rather identify concrete evils.”

The quote could apply to the state of San Francisco 49ers offense for 2009, as the word “evil” could be interpreted as weak, tame, boring, and ultimately, too predictable.

Then there’s the possibility of obtaining a necessary evil. Though we don’t know if he has completely exorcised his dark side yet, we do know he has paid his debt to society.

Michael Vick can give more color to an offense than a Monet portrait. Head coach Mike Singletary never ruled out the prospect of picking up Vick, the best football player the construction industry has to offer.

There are 32 teams in the NFL-at least 20 of which have more talent on offense than the 49ers-and one of them will eventually sign Vick.

You do want to get back to winning Super Bowls don’t you? The 49ers can play the meat and potatoes/small ball card on offense all they want in 2009, but until they can find that game-breaker on offense, they will remain an average team.

Rebuilding is for construction workers.

San Francisco is the right town for Vick to start over in (more on that later), and the wildcat offense was designed for a preeminent talent like the former No. 1 overall pick, to inject excitement into an offense.

Here are five plays that could potentially make the 49ers a top ten team in most pundit power rankings (with an emphasis on Vick, but feel free to insert QB Alex Smith into this formation with Arnaz Battle or Michael Robinson somewhere as well):

1. Wildcat dive

By faking the sweep to the slot-man (Rickey Williams) who is already in motion, this was the play that Ronnie Brown wrote history with against in New England early last season. The 49ers could put Vick either behind the center, or in the slot, where Frank Gore could take the snap.

2. Wildcat sweep

The only difference between this and the Wildcat dive, of course, is that the motion man would take the handoff, the left guard pulls as the lead blocker, the tight end seals the edge, and a potential exclamation point afterwards.

3. Wildcat play-action

Fake the sweep to the motion man, read your coverage, and possibly Vernon Davis has snuck past the linebackers and in-between the safeties for a nice gain. If a safety bites, with Davis’s speed, you could be looking at six.

4. Wildcat Counter

The underlying contingency with Michael Vick (besides the obvious) is whether or not his legs have anything left. Even if the 29-year-old is 90 percent of his old self, this could become his signature play. Because if the Wildcat is about deceiving the defense, than consider the Wildcat Counter a squared, double the cheese version.

The man behind the center fakes the sweep to the motion man, jabs right, then commits to the left, where he could have a two on one with the tight end versus a linebacker or lineman.  When the defense is thinking, “Uh-oh”, this is where Vick is at his best.

5. “I formation,” half back dive

If Vick is not signed by the 49ers, this is a play that you will be get used to. New offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye prefers the traditional style of NFL offense. The I-formation, with a running back possessing a wide pallet of talents such as Frank Gore, is ideal for a team without potential weapons of mass destruction like the 49ers.

Gore runs low, he’s slippery, he’s agile, he’s athletic, he has the necessary field vision and he has no problem running into contact. With a fullback leading the way, this is the kind of offense set that could give teams fits-just as long as the passing attack is holding up their end of the bargain.

If there’s one thing the 49ers already have an abundance of, its “gadget” players, or the necessary personnel capable of both running and throwing. Alex Smith ran the Wildcat all the way to an undefeated season in college. Arnaz Battle ran the option as a quarterback at Notre Dame.

Michael Robinson was a successful college quarterback at Penn St. Revolve the Wildcat gimmick around Frank Gore and/or potentially Michael Vick, and the 49ers offense would now have more ways to beat you than the average NFL team.

Just imagine how wide open Vernon Davis could be, while linebackers have to deal with the improvisational phenomenon that Vick could be in this system.

How does the city of San Francisco feel about the idea of signing Vick? It just seems to me that Vick and the city are the right match-just so long as his priorities are in line with the rest of us who are honest and proud about our daily contributions to society.

For all Barry Bonds went through, despite his outwardly surly character, Giants fans supported him. Celebrated sports networks and the professional megaphones tied with it would imply that the fans were the losers during the Barry Bonds saga.

But whether or not you were disillusioned or seduced by the home run and its convenient entertainment value, you did what was right, in supporting the individual. That’s what makes the city great (I’m not saying Bonds wasn’t a habitual steroids user, but after all, the jury is literally still out on the whole thing).

If there ever was a city and a franchise brave enough (the 49ers did draft Alex Smith No. 1 overall) to take on the responsibility of a Michael Vick acquisition, its San Francisco and its professional football franchise.

Welcome To Our Broadcast: 49er Cliches to Seek and Avoid In ’09

Keep an eye on the X-factor. They refuse to lose. He’s a game manager. Defense wins championships.

If you’re a sports reporter who is looking to get some payback on an editor who has a knack for painstakingly butchering an otherwise Pulitzer-worthy original copy, go ahead and infest your next assignment with as many clichés as possible.

Editors hate clichés like Sicilians hate the mainland.

Television-watching football fans, conversely, expect to hear the convenient figures of speech commonly used by announcers to describe their respective teams, players and coaches.

For the San Francisco 49ers, there is probably going to be a limited frame for error to work with during the average 2009 contest. Let’s face it; they just don’t have Patriot or Steeler talent, depth or wit.

After watching a week’s worth of playoff basketball, I was able to record the essential clichés that 49ers fans will both want and not want to hear during a Sunday afternoon in front of their Bay Area plasmas.

Sure to make your beer taste better:

1. “They’re a multi-faceted team.”

The defense is only a pass rushing threat away from becoming better than average. If you’re not going to make the quarterback uncomfortable—especially the elite ones—then be prepared to give up 40 points in a single game. (Donovan McNabb wasn’t sacked in a 26-40 loss in week six of ‘08.)

How many ways will the 49ers offense be able to beat you in ’09?

The 49ers have built a capable offensive nucleus, but they aren’t going to keep defensive coordinators “addicted to Red Bull and cigarettes” jittery until a lethal weapon can come to the forefront.

They don’t have guys who can score from anywhere on the field, i.e., Leon Washington, Brian Westbrook, Darren Sproles, Reggie Bush or Santana Moss. They have a third down running back that played quarterback at Penn State, and a starting wide receiver who’s been in the league since The Simpsons began airing.

2. “The players have bought into the system.”

After Hall of Famer Mike Singletary took over as head coach for a fired Mike Nolan after seven games last season, the 49ers were clearly a better team, having won more games than they lost (though none of those wins came against a team that made the playoffs).

“Cannot play with ‘em. Cannot win with ‘em. Cannot coach with ‘em. Can’t do it. I want winners,” Singletary proclaimed in his first post-game press conference that is sure to someday play part in a Coors Light commercial.

On the other side of the line, will the 49ers’ players be able to stomach their passionate head coach from the first day of training camp through the deep end of a 16-game regular season?

3. “You could have driven a truck through that hole.”

Singletary is a self-proclaimed “old school” guy. In football terminology, that translates to “smash-mouth.” Expect to see the antithesis of the 2008 pass-predictable attack that Mike Martz ran.

The 49ers drafted Alabama power back Glen Coffee in the third round and fans should expect him to get eight-to-ten carries a game. Frank Gore, assuming he can stay healthy, could run behind a Division III offensive line blindfolded and still get 1,000 yards.

Although questionable in pass protection, the 49ers offensive line should have no problem catching on with the new offensive philosophy. Run blocking for professional offensive lineman comes as naturally as chickens laying eggs.

4. “They’re taking it one game at a time.”

Thank you very much, NFC West, where you can be four games under .500 and one game out of first place before the bye week.

5. “The rookie sensation that has silenced all the critics.”

The 49ers perhaps got the steal of the ’09 draft when the seemingly NFL-ready Texas Tech All-American WR Michael Crabtree fell to them with the tenth overall pick. If it weren’t for a hairline fracture, in what is now a passing league, Crabtree would have been a top five pick.

6. “He manages the game well/He does all the little things that don’t show up in the stat column.”

Shaun Hill has proven he can play quarterback in the NFL, but the franchise owes it to itself to give Alex Smith, the old No. 1 pick, the No. 1 job, just so long as he’s 100 percent recovered from injury. Smith now has more offensive talent to work with than in any other season as a pro. If he’s ready to avoid sacks and cut down on turnovers, the rest should take care of itself.

These lines will induce the bitter beer face:

1. “They’re a better team then their record indicates/They’re no pushovers.”

I think this is what most pundits would lead you to believe about this year’s 49ers. They will project confidence, pride and professionalism on the field, and probably prove to be a tough out for anybody on Sunday. Just don’t expect them to win the games they aren’t supposed to.

2. “They’re losing the battle at the line of scrimmage.”

This is happening if OLB Manny Lawson, a former first round pick who can run like a derby prize-winner, is not blowing by tackles and hurdling running backs en route to a quarterback sack with regularity.

If Lawson is now NFL-cognizant enough to locate the offense’s vulnerable protection spot before each snap, maybe the 49ers could exert the modern day pass rushing role known as “The Joker.”

3. “They’re overdue to break one.”

Allen Rossum has made a career out of performing as an above average kick return specialist, but he’s never mentioned as a guy who you have to keep the ball away from.

Who will be the guy that becomes the 49ers’ game-breaker this season? Frank Gore is their best offensive weapon, but Vernon Davis needs to be (see bottom).

4. “They can ill-afford to lose him/He’s slow getting up.”

This has been a quiet factor throughout the offseason, but the 49ers don’t exactly have starting position battles that have coaches wondering how their going to manage to get the backup some needed game action.

Glen Coffee was drafted to carry the load between the 35 yard lines, not to carry the 49ers to another Super Bowl like Frank Gore has the potential to do (given the quarterback play is at least slightly above average).

But Gore has been on the injury report every week of the season since his Pop-Warner days. They need their franchise back to play at least 15 games.

5. “This one will be coming back/They’re looking at third and a mile.”

The 49ers were tenth in the league in total penalties in 2008.

6. “They have to take better care of the football/That’s a costly turnover.”

The 49ers were tied for last in the league in turnover differential. That number would be next to impossible to duplicate since Mike Martz and his “pedal to the metal” offensive system will no longer be needed. Potential snaps for fumble friendly quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan have since moved on to Cincinnati.

7. “This team is searching to find its identity.”

Of course, this term applies to any fan of any team. Diehards will always find an excuse to watch.

If you are a fair-weathered fan, then you probably stopped tuning in to watch during week three of the identity crisis. Being the cynic that you are, you will now hop on any chance to spite your local team after you invested what you feel are hours of “wasted time.”

For instance, if you own a home with a dog or two, you may apply the word association exercise for your weekend chores that you haven’t done yet:

The Mrs.: “Honey, the 49ers are on.”

Fair weathered fan: “Oh, that reminds me, I gotta pick up the dog poop.”

In conclusion, if the 49ers are to make it back to the playoffs, two things have to happen. Vernon Davis has to become Antonio Gates (because he can), and Alex Smith has to become the No. 1 quarterback (because he can).

If I’m Alex Smith, the first thing I want to hear in my initial dialogue with Davis, who is supposed to be my All-Pro target by now, is this; “Just throw the ball my way and I will get it. Trust me.”

One thing is for certain; We’re going to find out if Alex Smith and Vernon Davis have the fortitude to reach franchise goals for ’09, and finally stamp a status of their own in franchise prestige.

Last Call For an Old No. 1

Go down the line of all 32 NFL franchises and try to find more than one handful of teams who are sitting comfortably with the state of their quarterback situation headed into the 2009 regular season.

Shaky, isn’t it? Shaky like that paint mixer in a Home Depot, especially for you football fans in the Bay Area. Some of you look at that hypnotic vibrating cylinder and can’t help but be reminded of the quagmire that is the inside the noggin owned by certain decision makers at your local pro football teams.

Did they drink or sniff the paint during adolescence? Or did their mothers just shake them as infants because they wouldn’t stop the crying? Maybe even a nicotine craving of genetics past came rearing, and craving its way through during the heat of the draft, somehow interrupting the decision making process.

After all, Lombardi had the advantage to be able to just light up a heater indoors, focus, pick up the phone, and say: “Give me Paul Hornung in Green or give me Johnnie Walker in Red.”

Ahh, then inside the peaceful snow globe, we see the state of Wisconsin, and the Green Bay Packer faithful. They are tipping their cheese caps in deference to the 49ers for selecting Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers with the first pick of the 2005 NFL Draft.

Rodgers, the Bay Area college product with a lifelong affinity for the 49ers, nearly threw for as many yards last season (4,000+) as Smith has thrown (4,500+) in his career.

Take a deep breath. I know you just went from seeing shakes to feeling shivers.

But 49er fans, before you go and pencil in Shaun Hill as the projected starter (or backup for your fantasy football team), understand that you have a reason to exercise optimism, 100% humility free, when it comes to the 2009 model of Alex Smith.

Smith, now appropriately labeled as a bust, is playing on borrowed (and still very expensive) 49er/NFL time. For the time being, however, the term “bust” is still just a tag, a label. The branding iron is hot, but the cattle is not contained just yet.

More importantly, 49ers fans, you deserve to unashamedly cheer your franchise quarterback on. Because, technically, and financially, he is still a cornerstone for one more season.

And Smith is not Ryan Leaf. We all want him to do well. We’re just not sure he has (or ever had) the tools in his bag to lead the 49ers to the kind of greatness that comes with being a No. 1 overall pick.

When you’re getting your Spring cleaning done this year, don’t do to your $75 No. 11 replica jersey what you did with the No. 18 Elvis Grbac one, and throw it into the goodwill drop box. You, the jersey, and Mr. Smith deserve one more season of 49er Fridays at the office together.

I’m not ready to buy Smith’s jersey at Ross Dress For Less for $19.99 just yet (I’m still enjoying the Akili Smith one).

Speaking of shopping, if it helps, think of Smith as that entire Vanilla Ice album (To the Extreme) you overpaid for 20 years ago, off the momentum of one hit single, “Ice, Ice, Baby”.

Now take that No. 1 single, which in 2009 could still very easily climb to the top of your MP3’s playlist, just so long as it is backed up by worthy songs from other talent (Crabtree, Gore, Davis, Bruce).

If Smith can resurrect flashes of the upside he once showed, the 49ers will compete for an NFC West title once again.

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