Niners long-woeful offense finally moving
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Posted by MadRussky on 2008-09-16 08:15:19
Niners long-woeful offense finally moving
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
15 hours, 25 minutes ago
Buzz Up PrintSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)â€"After three years as the best player on the worst offense in the NFL, Frank Gore thinks the San Francisco 49ers are ready to rise from the depths of ineptitude.
Two games into Mike Martzâ€TMs first year in charge of that offense, Gore was excited to show up to work on a Monday morning. The 49ersâ€TM confidence in their new offensive coordinator showed up Sunday in Seattle, where the running back and his teammates produced 365 total yards in a 33-30 overtime victory over the longtime NFC West champions.
â€oeItâ€TMs a whole lot different now,” said Gore, who had 99 total yards against a defense designed to contain him. â€oeHaving a leader like Martz, knowing his past and knowing heâ€TMs won games, it just makes me want to play even harder. You just want to let him know youâ€TMre good.”
The 49ersâ€TM 365 yards against the Seahawks wouldnâ€TMt be remarkable for many teams, and San Francisco is only 14th in the NFL in total offense. But those numbers are a revolution in Ninerland.
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San Francisco managed to gain more than 350 yards just once in 2007â€"and needed several minutes of overtime at Arizona to do itâ€"during a season in which the 49ers finished 32nd in total points, total yards, touchdowns, first downs and yards passing.
The Ninersâ€TM personnel revamping already is paying off, with Isaac Bruceâ€TMs four catches for 153 yards against Seattle attracting the most attention. Bryant Johnson also caught a TD pass, and Gore rushed for a score as he settles into an offense in which he might not have to be the teamâ€TMs leader in receptions, as he has been the past two years.
â€oeI knew they were going to come in and try to stop me,” Gore said of the Seahawksâ€TM defense. â€oeI was happy to see our receivers make plays down the field so now I can go crazy again.”
After falling behind 14-0 early and trailing in every quarter, San Francisco won in OT when Joe Nedney got redemption for his miss at the regulation whistle with a 40-yard field goal.
The 49ers hadnâ€TMt rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to win since their famed comeback victory over the New York Giants in the January 2003 playoffs. That was coach Steve Mariucciâ€TMs last win with San Francisco, and the final good moment before a precipitous decline of a franchise that now has five straight losing seasons after winning five Super Bowls seemingly decades ago.
Quarterback J.T. Oâ€TMSullivan showed why he got the starting job Sunday with several remarkable throws during San Franciscoâ€TMs first 300-yard passing game in 60 gamesâ€"and the first on the road since Dec. 14, 2003, when Jeff Garcia did it.
But the 49ers are on pace to surpass another awful statistic from last season. After their quarterbacks were sacked a league-high 55 times in 2007, Oâ€TMSullivan already has been sacked 12 times in two games, a 96-sack pace.
â€oeI think his durability is good, but you donâ€TMt want your quarterback taking hits,” coach Mike Nolan said. â€oeThere were a couple of hits that I thought some guys might get fined about. That really concerned me more than anything else.”
Such punishment is no surprise in a Martz offense in which quarterbacks often take a beating. Jon Kitna, who leads the Lions into Candlestick Park on Sunday, probably still has bruises from the 54 sacks absorbed by Detroitâ€TMs quarterbacks last year when Martz was in charge.
Martz and Nolan still have 14 games to figure out how to keep Oâ€TMSullivan safer, and Nolan is thrilled with the offenseâ€TMs quick adjustment to Martzâ€TMs schemes.
â€oeHeâ€TMs got a great command presence with the players,” said Nolan, who moved quickly to hire Martz after learning he would keep his own job this season. â€oeTheyâ€TMve got a lot of belief in what he does. They know that if they just do what he says, theyâ€TMve got a great chance to get the ball.”
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- MadRussky 2008-09-16 08:15:19 (215 views)