San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh vowed Monday to
”
stick to our guns
”
while finding an identity for one of the league’s least
productive offenses.
By Cam Inman – Contra Costa Times
SANTA CLARA
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh vowed Monday to “stick to our guns” while finding an identity for one of the league’s least productive offenses.
A new identity, at least. The 49ers (1-1) have been abysmal on third down after halftime, mainly because of a habit of creating third-and-long situations.
“Offensively we have negative plays, be it a tackle for a loss, 1- to 2-yard gains, or sacks,” Harbaugh said. “Those are things we have to get better at and eliminate.”
The 49ers went 0 for 6 on third-down conversions after halftime of Sunday’s 27-24 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys. A week earlier, the 49ers succeeded on 1 of 6 third downs in the second half of a 33-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
“You can’t put yourself in positions where it’s third-and-long,” Harbaugh said.
A perfect example came in overtime Sunday. Before Alex Smith’s third-and-11 pass was ruled incomplete, he got sacked on second down by nose tackle Jay Ratliff, who pushed past center Jonathan Goodwin.
“That’s the play I was thinking about all night,” Goodwin said Monday, which is the players’ normal day off but featured locker-room appearances by most of the offensive unit.
The 49ers needed at least 8 yards to move the chains on all six of their third-down plays after halftime. The failing results: A sack, interception, two scrambles by Smith, a 6-yard catch by tight end Vernon Davis and, finally, the overtime incompletion.
“Third and long makes it nearly impossible to move the chains,” Smith said Sunday about the overtime sequence.
Harbaugh said he didn’t sense any trepidation from his players entering those third-down missions. But he did understand their frustration over a lack of production, as voiced by Davis after his two-catch, 18-yard effort.
“I’ll address Vernon and the entire team on where we’re at, where we need to go going forward,” said Harbaugh, noting that his ideal offensive identity calls for a 50/50 pass/run ratio.
Sunday’s plan often called for Davis to block on the line of scrimmage. Harbaugh said Davis was routinely double covered on pass routes, and that Davis was the intended target of a third-quarter interception thrown by Smith.
Overall, the 49ers have produced only 415 yards of offense this season. Smith has a solid 95.2 passer rating, but he has thrown for only 303 yards, and he was sacked six times Sunday. Running back Frank Gore (42 carries, 106 yards) is averaging only 2.5 yards per carry, well below the 4-yard average Goodwin pegged as the 49ers’ goal.
While the 49ers’ wide receiving corps played Sunday without Michael Crabtree (foot), starter Braylon Edwards left after the first series because of a knee injury that required an MRI on Monday.
Edwards’ MRI revealed that his knee is a “little banged up and day-to-day,” general manager Trent Baalke said on his radio show on 95.7 FM.
-The 49ers’ secondary, which allowed 432 passing yards Sunday, could be welcoming back Dashon Goldson and cornerback Shawntae Spencer if they practice well this week. A knee injury has kept Goldson out this season; Spencer has been limited to special teams after straining his hamstring in training camp.
-When Donte Whitner tackled Jesse Holley at the 1-yard line to save a game-ending touchdown in overtime, it also saved sportsbooks from paying $72 million to those who bet on the three-point-favorite Cowboys, according to Pregame.com. Those bets were considered a push because of the 27-24 final. An estimated $100 million was wagered worldwide on the game.
-Kyle Williams earned positive reviews from Harbaugh after coming in as the third receiver in the wake of Edwards’ exit. Williams scored his first career touchdown on a 12-yard catch.
-Fullback Moran Norris wore an orthopedic boot on an apparently injured foot Monday.
-Clarifying an item in Monday’s editions, the 49ers’ Ring of Honor at Candlestick Park has been relocated to the upper-deck overhang.
This week’s San Benito Score
