'08 Preview: Little 'O' in San Francisco
Mike Nolan had a lot of explaining to do after the 49ers' 5-11 finish last year. He must have had a way with words because owner John York opted to bring him back, marking the first time in 49ers history that a coach was retained after presiding over three consecutive losing seasons.
Projected as an up-and-coming team after displaying a pattern of improvement in Nolan's first two years, the 49ers instead imploded en route to their team-record fifth consecutive losing season. They were dragged down by the least-productive offense in the league, which also wore down a defense that remained on the field more than any other unit in the NFL.
Fallout from the disappointing campaign includes sharply reduced expectations for the 49ers, who face an uphill battle to exceed last year's win total while competing in an improved NFC West.
Offense
The 49ers brought in Mike Martz with hopes that he can rejuvenate what was a moribund offense last season under the since-fired Jim Hostler. Freewheeling and innovative, Martz will bring the same precision, timing-oriented attack that became the "Greatest Show on Turf" while he worked in St. Louis as an offensive coordinator and head coach.
2008 TEAM PREVIEWS
AFC EAST: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
AFC NORTH: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
AFC SOUTH: HOU | IND | JAC | TEN
AFC WEST: DEN | KC | OAK | SD
NFC EAST: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS
NFC NORTH: CHI | DET | GB | MIN
NFC SOUTH: ATL | CAR | NO | TB
NFC WEST: ARI | SEA | SF | STL
The system is the fourth in as many seasons for the team's top two quarterbacks, Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. Look for Martz to find creative ways to get the ball in the hands of running back Frank Gore, who could command a Marshall Faulk-type role.
Defense
The additions last season of such players as cornerback Nate Clements and linebacker Patrick Willis finally allowed the 49ers to run the 3-4 scheme favored by Nolan.
Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who begins his second year with the 49ers, has the job this season of taking that transition to the next level. He will stress a more aggressive, opportunistic approach, emphasizing pass rushing and takeaways as a way to help the 49ers' developing offense.
The book on: Frank Gore
A rival sizes up the 49ers' explosive running back:
"Two years ago, he had a great season, the most productive in the 49ers' history. Getting him back to that level of play comes down to the team putting a premium on running the football. One of the things that makes him tough to stop is his deceptive speed. Coming out (of college), we had him rated as running the 40 in 4.7 seconds. But he plays much faster than that. And for all the injuries he had in college, he's shown at the NFL level that he's durable.
"His numbers were down last year, but that's neither here nor there because the 49ers didn't have offensive success, running or throwing. And for him to be as effective as you want him to be, you've got to be able to run it when you want to run it. He can have outstanding numbers in the passing game, and they're going to put a premium on that under offensive coordinator Mike Martz.
"He's got good hands and he's a decent blocker, so he'll fit right into the new scheme as far as that goes. How much he gets on the ground depends on how much they want out of him. I don't really see him as having any flaws, which makes him extremely tough to stop. He's got good balance, breaks tackles and has some wiggle."
Bottom line
After three consecutive losing seasons, it's a make-or-break year for Nolan. That much became clear when owner York spared Nolan's job but passed on extending his contract, which expires in 2009. Though Nolan has assembled a defense that may well be good enough to win, it needs more support from the wobbly offense.
While Nolan brought in Martz to try to get the offense and Smith back on track, that may go for naught. The 49ers have not committed sufficient resources to acquiring the skilled playmakers central to supporting whoever turns out to be the team's quarterback and turning around their offense.
That failure points to another mediocre season for a once-proud franchise.
SN prediction: 3-13, fourth in NFC West.
Dennis Georgatos formerly covered the 49ers for Sporting News.
