Friday, May 25th, 2012
The 2009 San Francisco 49ers finished at 8-8 during the regular season and missed the playoffs for the 7th straight season.
If not for a Bret Favre miracle Hail Mary pass in week 3 the 49ers would have started their 2009 season at 4-0. But after that heartbreaking defeat the 49ers went on to lose four of their next 5 games to sit at 3-5 at the halfway mark.
The team continued their struggles on offense as they finished 29th in the league in total offense with just 290.8 yards per game.
San Francisco underperformed on the ground averaging just 100 yards per game and ranking 25th in the league.
To better their output on the ground the club made moves in the off season by drafting offensive tackle Anthony Davis and guard Mike Iupati with their two first round picks.
The team will need better production from second year running back Glen Coffee. In his rookie season the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout could only average 2.7 yards from scrimmage in 83 tries with his longest run from scrimmage being only 17 yards. San Francisco will need a healthy year from Frank Gore. The veteran running back averaged 4.9 yards per carry last season in 229 carries.
The 49ers are sticking behind their 2005 first round pick Alex Smith at quarterback. The troubled quarterback passed for 18 touchdowns and 12 picks in 2009. David Carr is Smith’s backup and could be summoned if Smith can produce victories. Alex Smith is in his contract year so its do or die for the former Utah Ute product.
Defensively the 49ers were good against the run but struggled against the pass. The 49ers gave up huge plays in single coverage last season. The club ranked 21st against the pass last season giving up an average of 229.4 yards per game.
The Odds:
Bodog sportsbook has set the 2010 season win total for the San Francisco 49ers at 8 ½ wins with over favored at -140 and the under bringing back +110.
The club has been lined by Bodog at 28-1 to win the 2010 Super Bowl.
Bodog has made the 49ers 13-1 to win the NFC Championship and are the -100 favorites to win the NFC West division.
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2010 San Francisco 49ers Regular Season Schedule:
The 49ers compete in the NFC West so the club will host and play away against the St Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.
In the 2010 regular season the NFC West teams will play against the NFC South and AFC West.
The club will host from the NFC South the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers with road games against the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons.
From the AFC West the 49ers will host the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos and will hit the highway to play at the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.
As the second place finisher from the NFC West in 2009 the 49ers must play against the two other second place teams from their conference so that brings a home game to the Philadelphia Eagles and a road game at the Green Bay Packers.
The NFL believes that the 49ers are ready for prime time in 2010 as they are featured in four prime time games. That is the most of any team from the NFC West this season.
San Francisco will host New Orleans in week 2 of Monday Night Football and Philadelphia in a very rare Sunday Night national television appearance in week 5.
The 49ers will be on the road for Monday Night Football in week 12 at Arizona and will have a short week on December 16th with a Thursday night game at San Diego.
Week 13 will be a very difficult scheduling spot for the 49ers as after their Monday night road game to Arizona they must wheel back in a short week with a road game at Green Bay on Sunday afternoon in the early game.
Offense:
Former first round pick Alex Smith’s time with the club may be running out unless he can lead the club to a playoff berth. Smith is in the final year of his contract and the team drafted former New York Giants backup David Carr to serve as a backup. Carr has starting experience having played with the Houston Texans early in his career.
Smith completed 60.5% of his passes for 2350 yards. Many questioned the quarterbacks leadership ability during his time with the club since drafted first in 2005. His final four games resulted in a 3-1 record but he had 5 interceptions combined against the Cardinals and Eagles with none against the hapless Lions and Rams.
Frank Gore will get the majority of the carries if he can stay healthy with Glen Coffee backing him up. The former Miami Hurricane running back Gore has rushed for over 1000 yards in four straight seasons. Gore played in 14 of the 16 games as he missed two games a year ago with an ankle ailment. If Coffee cant get it together the club did draft former Mississippi St workhorse Anthony Dixon at running back in the 6th round to provided depth.
At wide out the club will start Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan at wide receiver as the #1 and #2 with the inconsistent Ted Ginn Jr. and Isaac Bruce as the #3 and #4 option. Following his holdout in his rookie campaign the receiver Crabtree contributed with 48 catches for a 13.0 yards per catch average and 2 touchdowns in 11 games. Morgan the three year veteran had 52 catches with 3 touchdowns and a 10.1 yards per catch average.
Tight End Vernon Davis led the 49ers in 2009 with 78 catches and 13 touchdowns leading the team and he produced a 12.4 yards per catch average which is excellent for a tight end.
The offensive line shapes up with Eric Heitmann at center with Mike Iupati and Adam Snyder at the guards. The tackles are Anthony Davis and Joe Staley. San Francisco allowed a high 40 sacks a year ago. Two rookies are slated to start. Anthony Davis was the teams first round pick taken #11 out of Rutgers and Iupati was drafted in the first round with the 17th pick out of Idaho.
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Defense:
The San Francisco 49ers 3-4 defense will shape up with Aubravo Franklin at nose tackle with Isacc Sopoaga and Justin Smith at the tackle position. This is a solid starting three that are very hard to block and allows for their linebackers to make plays in the ground game. Former LSU product Ricky Jean-Francois provided depth for this squad.
The 49ers linebackers are very good. Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis work the inside with Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson working the outside. Lawson led the club with 6 ½ sacks last season and Willis and Spikes contributed with 4 each. At 44 sacks last season the club finished 3rd in the NFL.
The secondary is the weakest link of this defense. Nate Clements and Shawntae Spencer man the corners with Michael Lewis and Dashon Goldson at the safety position. The unit allowed some big plays to opponents in tight man to man coverage in 2009. Safety Taylor Mays was drafted in the second round to provide depth for the club.
And now to my Selection:
The San Francisco 49ers are assembling the right parts to vie for contention for a playoff berth. They just need one more piece for this difficult puzzle and that is the all important quarterback position.
The 49ers averaged just 14.9 first downs per game in 2009 ranking near the bottom of the league as Alex Smith just doesn’t extend drives in the critical third down execution.
David Carr’s problem is he holds the ball way too long and takes unnecessary sacks. San Francisco has the making of a playoff team once they find a capable quarterback than can convert third downs and not make mistakes.
Glen Coffee’s off season weight program is designed to add strength to the young back to help him break tackles. His 2.7 yards per carry average is unacceptable for NFL running backs. San Francisco should have addressed more than a 6th round draft pick for some insurance for Frank Gore this season.
They don’t get to 9 wins this season.
Selection: Play Under 8 ½ wins in 2010 Regular Season.
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