Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers and their early-season success
Thanks to the lockout-stunted offseason, things were supposed to be difficult for most NFL teams with new coaches this year, but of all the coaches coming into new jobs, Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers looked to be a particularly rough spot.
Harbaugh, after all, inherited a 6-10 team that tied for the NFC’s third-worst record last season (ahead only of lowly 2-14 Carolina and 5-11 Arizona), and a roster that suffered key personnel losses in the offseason, like veteran nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin. The team was also set to face the tough AFC North in interdivisional play, and didn’t have a promising schedule outside of the NFC West.
Despite those challenges, the 49ers upset the heavily-favored Eagles on the road last Sunday and now lead the their division at 3-1. Their only loss came against Dallas by just three points. For the moment, things are starting to fall into place, but the question is if they can keep this up or if it represents but a momentary streak before things start to go south?
There certainly are some positive signs for the 49ers. They’ve long had a talented roster, and there are plenty of guys who are stepping up and making plays, including running back Frank Gore, receiver Michael Crabtree, linebacker Patrick Willis and safety Donte Whitner.
The San Francisco defense in particular has rounded into fine form as well; the 75 points they’ve allowed thus far (an average of just 18.8 per game) is the second-lowest total in the NFC. Specifically, considerable success has come against the ground game, where they’ve conceded just 74 yards per game, fourth-lowest in the entire NFL. The pass defense still needs some work, as the 284 yards per game they’ve conceded is 27th in the league, but in general, this San Francisco team is looking good on the defensive side of the ball.
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On offense, though, the questions are more significant. The 49ers have 94 points thus far, which is first in their division. However, that only adds up to 23.5 points per game, and ties them for 13th in the league. They haven’t moved the ball well, either, picking up only 270.8 total yards per game to date, 28th in the league. Simply put, they can’t move the chains consistently on the ground (93.2 yards per game, 22nd in the league) or through the air (177.5 yards per game, 29th in the league). Gore certainly is capable of doing better, but if he gets hurt (as he frequently has in recent years), the 49ers’ offense may get even worse; Alex Smith is performing better than he has previously, but still doesn’t appear ready to carry the team. Needless to say, the offense is going to have to improve if the 49ers want to keep their streak going.
Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t exactly get easy for San Francisco. They host the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, then go on the road to face the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions. After a bye, there are some more difficult matchups in store, including the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers at home and the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Even claiming the division isn’t going to be a cakewalk. Seattle, Arizona and St. Louis have struggled to 1-3, 1-3 and 0-4 records thus far, but all have shown flashes of potential, and the 49ers haven’t been utterly dominant.
All told, San Francisco does certainly seem to be going the right way under Harbaugh. The team’s playing with some impressive passion and intensity so far, and they’ve found ways to win tough games against the likes of Philadelphia and Cincinnati when a lot of things haven’t gone their way.
However, turning around a team usually takes more than one season, and the 49ers were a far cry from respectability when Harbaugh was hired. San Francisco fans can enjoy the great start for the moment, and even a playoff run this year isn’t out of the question considering the weakness of their division, but it’s going to take a while before this team really gets back into solid form. They may be on the right path, but there are many more steps to take before definitive results are produced.
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