49ers’ Gore poised for big Week 3

By Jeff Dickinson  |   Thursday, September 18, 2008  |  Comments( 8 )

San Francisco 49ers
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans!
If you see a man walking around the streets of San Francisco with a big smile on his face over the next couple days, you’ll know who it is. We’re not talking about a normal smile; we’re talking about a huge, ear-to-ear smile that can be seen a mile away.

You’ll have to forgive Frank Gore for that smile. He can’t help it. Why is Gore smiling? The San Francisco 49ers’ running back didn’t win the lottery. He didn’t get picked to headline “Dancing With the Stars” either.

Gore is smiling because he gets to run through the defense of the Detroit Lions on Sunday. What running back -- especially one of Gore's caliber -- wouldn’t be giddy at the thought of facing Detroit’s porous run defense?

After the first two weeks of the NFL season, the Lions are giving up an average of 220.5 yards per game on the ground. Of course, part of the reason that the Lions are so bad against the run is because Atlanta’s Michael Turner shredded them for 220 yards in the first game of the season, while his teammates combined for another 98.

For the Lions, it’s not just a rushing problem on defense -- they spread the wealth all around by surrendering 460.5 total yards per game. That means San Francisco quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan could join Gore in having a prolific outing.

Gore has rushed for 157 yards over the first two games, but he has yet to break the 100-yard mark. He gained 96 yards in the opener versus Arizona and 61 in the overtime win against the Seahawks last week. If things go as they have with Detroit thus far this season, look for Gore to crack the 100-yard barrier Sunday.

If Gore does have a big day against the Lions, O’Sullivan will probably be the happiest 49er on the field. Gore eating up chunks of yardage and time off the game clock will do nothing but help O’Sullivan. Granted, O’Sullivan did throw for 321 yards in the win over Seattle, but he is still easing into the role as a starting quarterback in the NFL; and the less pressure on him, the better.

Defensively, the 49ers need to do three things in order to post a win this week: 1. Contain Calvin Johnson; 2. Put pressure on Jon Kitna; 3. Dare the Lions to run the ball.

So far this season, Detroit has lived and died through the air. Kitna is averaging 269 passing yards per game, and 118 of those per contest have gone to Johnson, who also has two touchdown grabs.

The Lions' running game is almost nonexistent, though, as leading rusher Kevin Smith is amassing a meager 44 yards per game.

While every game is big in the NFL, this one must surely have special meaning for San Francisco offensive coordinator Mike Martz, whom the Lions fired in the offseason after two years as their play-caller. Martz will probably say that this is just another game, but you can bet that he wants to put on an offensive show against the Lions.

Given Detroit's feeble 'D', his 49ers offense just might.
Got something to say?

Log In above and share your thoughts on this topic with other fans! (8)

About Jeff Dickinson

I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report