So what happened …?

By Os Davis  |   Wednesday, November 07, 2007  |  Comments( 10 )

San Francisco 49ers
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"The bandwagon - once overloaded with optimistic fans who thought the 49ers would walk away with the NFC West title and make some noise in the playoffs - is nearly empty." - Chris Cluff.

"I'll take the San Francisco 49ers" - Os Davis, in April.

So what happened to the Niners? Or was it all just a mirage in the first place, with San Francisco the archetypal team that looks great on paper but remarkably less so on grass? Are the problems temporary trivialities or an endemic epidemic? And if the 49ers aren't who we thought they were, who are they?

Considering, then, a few facets of the 49ers' "game" this season...

Injuries. The favorite bugaboo of the sub-.500, injuries have indeed haunted the 49ers this season, beginning with the headlining hurting done to Alex Smith and Frank Gore. Gore's woes began in the preseason with a broken hand and were revisited in October with a sprained ankle that kept him out against the Atlanta Falcons last week. Gore clearly still has the skills, but his frailty in 2007 has crushed thousands of fantasy football owners.

Smith's statistical performance on Sunday (17 of 38 for 149 yards, three picks, zero TDs) indicates he's simply not able to QB right now after the dislocated shoulder. Heck, forget the numbers. Just look at him. Um, where's he throwing?

From the offensive line, San Francisco's immediate future does not include injured left tackle Jonas Jennings or right guard Justin Smiley. Fourth-round defensive end Jay Moore, on injured reserve, is watching his rookie season from the sideline. Listed as doubtful for this week from the secondary are Walt Harris and Keith Lewis.

San Francisco has been hit by injury; fair enough. But surely every team must deal with injuries on some level every season, don't they? Besides, this team was noted going into the season for its depth thanks to nice ...

Off-season transactions and draft. Receiving rave reviews better than anyone save for maybe the New England Patriots for their offseason acquisitions, the 49ers looked pretty clever in July. How have these guys produced?

Veteran additions to the team included cornerback Nate Clements and safety Michael Lewis. Clements, formerly a Pro Bowler in Buffalo, has been decent but clearly unspectacular. Somewhat mixed results have been turned in from Lewis, who is as aggressive as ever (on pace for 100 tackles) but looks lost against the pass.

Jumping from the Baltimore Ravens, Aubrayo Franklin has positively thrived in Mike Nolan's 3-4 defensive scheme, with 17 already matching his total tackles notched in 14 games in 2006. The big guy has been an absolute animal this year, a rare bright spot on this 2-6 team. Tully Banta-Cain, given a chance to regularly start for the 49ers after toiling in relative obscurity for four seasons, has disappointed. The LB seems to carry a trace of Patriot Syndrome: The daunted Belichick system often makes the individual player look better, an illusion that typically disappears outside New England, Deion Branch notwithstanding.

As for the draft, here's a brief rundown: Patrick Willis, fantastic. Fellow first-rounder Joe Staley impressed in camp but has looked young in 2007, beaten at the line to the tune of six sacks allowed thus far. Jason Hill saw his first action at receiver in Week 8, adding his only reception of the season in that game. Defensive lineman Ray McDonald and safety Dashon Goldson, too, have seen limited time since Week 5. Goldson played a decent game against the New York Giants, but nevertheless has appeared sporadically since.

On the whole, what shall we say? How about "generally underwhelming."

Coaching. It has to be the coaching, right? This offense, upon which the hopes of many a San Francisco fan were pinned, has become the NFL's worst. Norv Turner's departure now appears to have devastated a club (two, if you include the San Diego Chargers, and you probably should). Turner's incompetence as a head coach aside, the man is a mean O-coordinator, and the pitiful display turned in by the 49ers' offense this season utterly encapsulates that. Maybe they should trade Jim Hostler and weight trainer to be named later to the Chargers to get Norv back ...

Next season, 49er backers can take solace that their team actually claim has a defense. Despite spending a league-high 33:18 on the field per game, the 'D' is ranked 20th overall. Kudos to coordinator Greg Manusky for assembling a pretty respectable defense.

Ultimately, the failure of the 2007 49ers - and, barring a '69 Mets-level miracle, this season is a failure against expectations - will be borne by Mike Nolan. The Niners would need seven wins in their last eight to achieve a 9-7 mark, possibly enough to win the NFC West; however, Nolan's career high wins for a season is seven. And it's no wonder. All those abstract clichés applied to what a coach does - motivate, finish plays, outdo the opposition - are clearly lacking in the '07 game plan.

Regardless of his family's long history with the club, Nolan must be feeling traces of warmth in his seat. At the halfway point, it's already been a dismal year by the bay, and Nolan has yet to turn in a winning season. The murmurs calling for dismissal will surely bubble up soon.

Sorry for 2007, 49ers. I was with you there ...

Waiting for next year all year-round at RealFootball365.com.
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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