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49ers make changes, beat Jacksonville
By Morris Phillips November 29, 2009 |
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Mike Singletary wants his 49ers to experience playing in meaningful games in December. After the 49ers 20-3 victory against Jacksonville, most of them for the first time in their pro careers, will have that experience. Of course, it’s important to note that this year, the regular season ends in the first week of January, and the 49ers need to run the table to have the experience culminate in a playoff berth. But it’s also important to note that they have the easiest remaining schedule of the other wild card contenders and NFC West leader Arizona. "One of the things I don't want our team doing is looking at what Arizona is doing, but you can't help but," Singletary said. "We just have to make sure that we earn the right to look at what they're doing, and we've go to take care of business on our side." Coming into Sunday, the remaining schedule was the last thing on the mind of anybody wearing red and gold. With losses in five of their last six games, Singletary and the 49ers were worried about making a few plays, and getting off to a fast start, the polar opposite of last week’s first half sleepwalk in Green Bay. And behind Alex Smith’s arm and an opportunistic defense, they did that against the Jaguars. Smith threw touchdown passes to Vernon Davis and Frank Gore, while avoiding any interceptions or sacks. It was the first time in 18 games the 49ers hadn’t surrendered at least one sack, and while the 49ers benefitted from facing a Jacksonville team with an anemic pass rush, the pass protection and Smith’s awareness in the pocket were major improvements. Especially with the offense operating frequently out of the spread look that Smith is comfortable with from his college days at Utah under coach Urban Meyer. It's pretty much the growth of this offense," Smith said. "In the NFL, you have to be balanced. You have to be able to do it different ways to find ways to win." Especially without the injured Joe Staley at tackle, and the constant upheaval along the offensive line, the 49ers aren’t going to be able to line up and run the ball down the opponent’s throats. So during preparations for this week’s game, Smith and rookie Michael Crabtree were vocal with the coaches about making changes in the offense. With the Jags being vulnerable to the pass, radio voice Ted Robinson suggested the 49ers think about throwing the ball 50 times if it would get them back in the win column. However, what transpired was a slightly less radical split of 41 pass plays and 20 run plays, that didn’t hurt the 49ers in terms of time of possession, with 14 of 18 first downs coming via the pass. Will it work every week? Probably not, but the flexibility of the coaching staff to alter the game plan is a clear sign of growth for Singletary and the prospects of the team. And what of Frank Gore’s needs and wishes? With 16 carries and seven catches for a total of less than 50 yards, Gore wasn’t a major factor, but he did handle the ball extensively. And against Seattle next week, those same 23 touches could include some big gainers. And of course, Gore, a principled team player, never complains when the 49ers win. The 49ers scored first on Joe Nedney’s 46-yard field goal that came when the first drive of the day bogged down after ten plays. From that point until midway of the second quarter when Davis caught a 3-yard touchdown pass to put the 49ers in control, up 10-0, the defense made it happen for the 49ers. With constant pressure, the 49ers kept Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard from putting his imprint on the game by forcing him to check down to shorter routes. While Garrard completed 8 of 9 passes to start the game, the Jags managed just 69 yards in offense resulting in a couple of punts and a missed Josh Scobee field goal. Along with the pass rush, the 49ers made tackles and got solid corner coverage from Shawntae Spencer and Dre Bly, who replaced Tarell Brown in the starting lineup. And as the 49ers built their lead to 17-0 and then 20-3, the pressure and sound tackling continued. Garrard finished with 307 yards passing, but Maurice Jones-Drew was held to 75 yards on the ground and the Jaguars didn’t manage to do much on the 49ers side of the field. Two Garrard fumbles and a second Scobee missed field goal doomed Jacksonville’s efforts to make a game of it. Next week the 49ers travel to Seattle, while Arizona hosts 10-1 Minnesota. If things go well next week, the 49ers will play for the NFC West lead at home against Arizona on the following Monday night. |
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