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49ers ride Gore to big win over the Seahawks
By Morris Phillips September 20, 2009 |
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Frank Gore’s biggest day as a professional, in reality, was a perfect storm. With touchdowns runs of 79 and 80 yards, Gore thrust himself into the NFL lore and propelled the 49ers past the Seahawks, 23-10, and into first place in the NFC West. Fair weather 49ers fans haven’t paid attention since 2007, when the 49ers last started 2-0, but then collapsed with seven straight losses. Notorious fair weather 49ers fans, who only come out on the nicest September Sundays, and only then if Jerry Rice and Steve Young are playing, haven’t open their eyes since 1998, the last time the storied franchise started 3-0. Next week at Minnesota, and against Brett Farve, the 49ers could start 3-0. So fair weather fan, it’s time to get caught up. For Gore, as this week’s game approached, he must have known it was time for him to get caught up. The Seahawks defense came into the game banged up, missing two starting linebackers and their primary run stuffer, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, as well as their best corner Marcus Trufant. And then just seven minutes into the game, Lofa Tatupu, their best linebacker, who was listed on the injury report all week long, left for good with a hamstring injury. Among the replacements, youthful, inexperienced linebackers David Hawthorne and Will Herring, who has played mostly on special teams in his three year Seahawk career for a reason. All week, the 49ers’ offensive line has been under fire after Gore managed just 33 yards rushing in the win at Arizona. Coach Mike Singletary, with little to criticize in the wire-to-wire road win, used his lineman as his motivational foils preceeding this week’s game. The offensive line didn’t open holes and was even worse picking up Arizona’s blitzes, Singletary barked, and they better play better this week. Meanwhile, Gore enters this season, as he has the last two seasons, as the 49ers marquee performer. In fact, in the six seasons since the 49ers last playoff appearance, little of consequence has happened within the storied franchise other than poor coaching hires and Gore’s assault on the team record book. With Gore’s breakout season in 2006, he has established team records for rushing in a season (1,695 yards and 312 rushing attempts) as well as the single game rushing total (212 yards). By the end of this year, he will likely be the career leader in 100-yard games and then be in position to overtake franchise leaders Joe Perry and Roger Craig at the top of several other rushing categories next year. And for the first time with a run-oriented coach and offensive coordinator, Jimmy Raye, this figured to be Gore’s biggest year yet. And while he played sparingly in pre-season, word was that the fifth-year back was in the best shape, mentally and physically, in his career. But then Gore’s first showcase was a 22-carry, 30-yard clunker. So with backdrop, Seahawks coach Jim Mora Jr. knew he needed to stop Gore and force Hill, with only one 300-yard game in his brief career, to throw the ball instead. So, with his hands tied due to injuries, Mora came up with a eight-man front, a tactic that surely would stop Gore in his tracks. “Technically, you shouldn’t be able to run against that,” Mora said. “An eight-man front, I don’t care what they do,” Seahawk safety Deon Grant said, “A runner should never get through the eight-man front.” But that’s exactly what Gore did, even with a ninth defender committed to the line of scrimmage, not once, but twice, taking the ball to the house without being touched. On both plays, with 2:36 remaining in the first quarter and then again on the first play of the second half, Gore defeated the Seattle defense in the first twenty yards with safety Jordan Babineaux acting as concert-arena turnstile on both plays as the speedy Gore raced through. “It was just a matter of Frank Gore being Frank Gore,” Seahawks rookie Aaron Curry said. “It’s just as simple as that. They gave the right man the ball.” Gore’s second score put the 49ers up 20-10, after they held 10-0 and 13-3 leads in the first half. His second touchdown marked the second lengthiest set of touchdown runs in the same since Barry Sanders scored from 80 and 82 yards against Tampa Bay in 1997. And with Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselback unable to continue after taking a hard hit in his back from Patrick Willis just before halftime, the Seahawks weren’t able to come back behind second-stringer Seneca Wallace. Wallace threw a touchdown pass to Julius Jones on his initial play of his afternoon, but finished just 15 of 27 and was picked off by Dashon Goldson at the conclusion of the third period. The interception led to a 16-play San Francisco drive that ate up half the fourth quarter leading to Joe Nedney’s field goal that put the 49ers up 23-10. Shaun Hill, who has now led the 49ers to victory in six of their last seven games, finished 19 of 26 for 144 yards and no interceptions. And with Gore getting all of the shine, Hill was still impressive, completing passes of 10+ yards to five different receivers. On defense, safety Michael Lewis was in on nine tackles, including six solo jobs. |
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