49ers: Worst passing attack of all time?
Well, that Monday night game wasn't too fun. Our guys (D.J. Hackett and Frank Gore), both played great, but Gore was held to only 13 carries because of the score. It still made zero sense that the 49ers went away from Gore early in the second half when he was ripping off chunks of yardage.
Call me stubborn, but I think it's a testament to Gore's skills that he's averaging 4.1 yards-per-carry while playing for the worst passing offense of the decade. That is not hyperbole.
I checked the numbers (thanks to Doug Drinen for double checking), and San Francisco's current 4.87 YPA would be the worst team average since the 1968 Bills, who were part of the AFL at the time. Considering the liberalization of defensive contact rules in the last three decades, it's easy to argue that Smith is leading the worst passing attack of all time. They are worse than Smith's rookie year; worse than the Andrew Walter Raiders; they are even worse than the Akili Smith/Scott Mitchell Bengals.
Heads are going to roll. Offensive coordinator Jim Hostler will be first, and he's already taking heat inside the locker room. (One note to Vernon Davis: If you are going to complain about blocking too much, try not to miss assignments that lead directly to turnovers).
Alex Smith's shoulder may be the primary cause for his struggles, but the 49ers will need to bring in competition for him next year too. Gore owners, meanwhile, probably aren't going to see him a huge rebound this year. I will still happily gobble him next season when his ADP takes a huge hit.
Things change so fast in the NFL, and the power of being pulled to the mean is so strong, that the 49ers passing game should creep back to merely bad next year. Gore was able to top 2,000 total yards last year on a mediocre offense, and can do it again. The 49ers wish they were mediocre this year.
Comments
Gregg,
Just read your Waiver Quarterback rankings and wanted to say thanks for responding to my email. Your autographed pic of Megan Fox is on the way dude. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: TFRAM | November 13, 2007 12:48 PM
Gregg, I have a chance to trade Chris Henry for Jerricho Cotchery. My other two WRs are T.O. and Boldin. I am thinking of pulling the trigger despite the Bengals extremely favorable playoff matchups...and I love the Jets playing Cleveland in the first (most important) week in the playoffs. What do you think?
Posted by: Anonymous | November 13, 2007 12:57 PM
anon, just say no! do you want the guy whose QB is Palmer or the guy whose QB is Clemens or maybe even Pennington?
Posted by: jmp14 | November 13, 2007 09:06 PM
Hi Gregg,
I'm terribly thin at WR, but I have an extra RB to trade. What would be reasonable value for Thomas Jones? I've thought about going after Reggie Brown, but I'm not sure if that would be enough for TJ. What other WRs might I be able to snag? Thanks!
Posted by: CJ | November 13, 2007 09:09 PM
Just an FYI... the VD play you're talking about was a blown assignment by Hicks, not Davis. According to Matt Maiocco, Hicks was responsible for the outside rusher... of course, he shouldn't have even been in, as Robinson is FAR better in blitz pickup.
Posted by: shootme | November 15, 2007 01:12 PM
Gregg,
Having suffered through the drafting woes of Gore, Rudi and Peterson as my draft picks, I am looking for some salvation by beefing up my receiving corps. Who would you rather have going forward for the rest of the year, Chris Henry or D. J Hackett? Both are available on the waiver wire but not for long.
Thanks,
The Eduardo
Posted by: The Eduardo | November 15, 2007 03:25 PM
Hello everybody,
So, let's chat! What's going on?
------------------
[URL=http://bad-credit-personal-signature-loans.newcarloanuk.com]home loan[/url]
Posted by: Sweammeva | February 22, 2008 02:54 AM