Will SF go back to the spread? (1 Viewer)

[Kitrick Taylor]

The 49ers now must know Alex Smith isn't their QB of the future. He just can't seem to run a traditional offense successfully. However, he still does seem to be able to run the spread effectively. Sunday night they ran it quite a bit late in the game, and suddenly they started scoring TDs.

They need to win a game so badly at this point it would seem foolish not to play into their QBs strength. It certainly would be a huge boost to Crabtree and Davis going forward if this is the case.

The alternatives would seem to be go back to what hasn't worked to date, or go with David Carr.

Anybody heard rumors to this in SF?

 

[Ray_T]

The 49ers now must know Alex Smith isn't their QB of the future. He just can't seem to run a traditional offense successfully. However, he still does seem to be able to run the spread effectively. Sunday night they ran it quite a bit late in the game, and suddenly they started scoring TDs. They need to win a game so badly at this point it would seem foolish not to play into their QBs strength. It certainly would be a huge boost to Crabtree and Davis going forward if this is the case.The alternatives would seem to be go back to what hasn't worked to date, or go with David Carr. Anybody heard rumors to this in SF?

well, he ran the spread with a fair bit of success in the past.as for whether they will switch.... your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Black]

49er President and Owner York says that "the 49ers would win their division this season (the NFC West)."

http://www.footballnewsnow.com/2010/49er-p...l-win-division/

The spread is my guess as to how they can make a drastic enough change to pull off such a bold goal.

Anyone know if that is what they went to right after Alex Smith nearly got pulled to the chants of 'we want Carr' Sunday night? They definitely started throwing downfield (his long seam route to VDavis was about the first time I have seen that this year).

 

[Clifford]

I find it kinda interesting that Davis went to bat for Smith in that situation. Davis is the leader of that team now and him pleading for Smith to stay in the game does suggest he thinks that Smith is the best they have. Maybe Smith simply isn't being used in the right way.

 

[abishagenaden]

Anyone know if that is what they went to right after Alex Smith nearly got pulled to the chants of 'we want Carr' Sunday night? They definitely started throwing downfield (his long seam route to VDavis was about the first time I have seen that this year).

From what I saw, no. It looked as if he was just not hesitating on his first or second read and just slinging it as long as the receiver was slightly open. Before that he seemed afraid to risk chancy throws (which led to his hilarious fumble and the return for a TD).

 

[BaBastage]

I find it kinda interesting that Davis went to bat for Smith in that situation. Davis is the leader of that team now and him pleading for Smith to stay in the game does suggest he thinks that Smith is the best they have. Maybe Smith simply isn't being used in the right way.

My initial thought was that it didn't matter, Smith had to go.Then, after I calmed down, I wonder if part of his problem is the lack of confidence in his coaches and OC because you're right, when they playcalling got more agressive, Smith played better.I thought he displayed a lot of mental toughness out there. First he stood his ground with the coach who was about to pull him. Then he dealt with the hostile home crowd.I can't defend his inconsistency though.

 

[brtdud7]

I really hope he goes balls-out and throws 50+ times a game and puts up Jay Cutler numbers. We're 0-5, why not stick to just the spread and let him sling it out there no-huddle too?

Like 350 yards, 3-4 TDs, and 3 INTs

 

[butcher boy]

John Madden does not agree that the 49ers should use a spread...

"It's probably just the whole talent, of all the things that an NFL quarterback has to be. If you take the top guys and you watch what they can do, and then you watch Alex Smith, and they don't do the same things. There's a lot of teams that are winning with that, though. I've always said with the pro football is today, it's a passing league, it's a quarterback league and there's not 32 good quarterbacks to go around. That doesn't mean that if you don't have one of the real good quarterbacks you can't win. I mean, Alex Smith isn't one of the real good quarterbacks in the NFL. I think the 49ers are trying to work around that and find a way to win where it all doesn't go on his shoulders."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nineri...1#ixzz12B7KTqc0

 

[Road Warriors]

If my choice is changing to a spread offense or starting Carr, line up 5 wide all day.

The spread has worked in the past. Carr... not so much.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

John Madden does not agree that the 49ers should use a spread...

"It's probably just the whole talent, of all the things that an NFL quarterback has to be. If you take the top guys and you watch what they can do, and then you watch Alex Smith, and they don't do the same things. There's a lot of teams that are winning with that, though. I've always said with the pro football is today, it's a passing league, it's a quarterback league and there's not 32 good quarterbacks to go around. That doesn't mean that if you don't have one of the real good quarterbacks you can't win. I mean, Alex Smith isn't one of the real good quarterbacks in the NFL. I think the 49ers are trying to work around that and find a way to win where it all doesn't go on his shoulders."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nineri...1#ixzz12B7KTqc0

They've tried working an offense where its not all on Alex Smith. Its gotten them to 0-5. I don't think putting Alex Smith in the spread is going to take the 49ers to the Superbowl, but it may actually win them a few games. It certainly did last year.

Singletary has to know he's toast at this point too. Why not try to win some games on the way out? That's his best chance for getting another HC gig down the road.

 

[THE FANTASY KING]

I think if the 49ers cut down on stupid turnovers, they will do much better. I do not think that what formation they make or do not make these stupid turnovers matters that much.

Regards,

THE FANTASY KING

 

[plyka]

John Madden does not agree that the 49ers should use a spread...

"It's probably just the whole talent, of all the things that an NFL quarterback has to be. If you take the top guys and you watch what they can do, and then you watch Alex Smith, and they don't do the same things. There's a lot of teams that are winning with that, though. I've always said with the pro football is today, it's a passing league, it's a quarterback league and there's not 32 good quarterbacks to go around. That doesn't mean that if you don't have one of the real good quarterbacks you can't win. I mean, Alex Smith isn't one of the real good quarterbacks in the NFL. I think the 49ers are trying to work around that and find a way to win where it all doesn't go on his shoulders."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nineri...1#ixzz12B7KTqc0

They've tried working an offense where its not all on Alex Smith. Its gotten them to 0-5. I don't think putting Alex Smith in the spread is going to take the 49ers to the Superbowl, but it may actually win them a few games. It certainly did last year.

Singletary has to know he's toast at this point too. Why not try to win some games on the way out? That's his best chance for getting another HC gig down the road.

You and I may think this way, but that's only because we're sitting on the couch watching the games on our big screens. It is very easy to make such decisions from the couch, much harder to make such decisions from the head coaches position. It takes a thinking outside the box mentality, or a i give a #### mentality, and i just don't think that Singletary has it. I agree that it is the high risk and high reward scenerio, but coaches are thinking "how do i save my job" and the conclusion these idiots usually come to is: "play it safe." Only once they assume that their job is safe do they extend themselves and attempt something truly creative.

Basically, don't hold your breath.

 

[NinerFan49]

New 49er OC Mike Johnson spent a season studying how the Spread offense could be used in the NFL so I think there's a good chance that he will start (slowly, probably) adding more spread plays. He can't put in an entire new system now, of course. But he could after this season... if he's still here...

Defenses have become so sophisticated nowadays... with loads of exotic blitzes and shifting/disguised coverages, especially 3-4 defenses... The spread offense counters that by forcing defenses to spread out and dictates their defensive personnel (more CBs), especially in 4-receiver sets... which makes defenses easier to read and eliminates a lot of their blitzes. It can be a powerful and very fun to watch offensive system, as the Patriots have proven.

 

[Clifford]

Let's not forget Tennessee was basically in this position last year, made a QB change that everyone was saying they shouldn't make, and had a serious run at the playoffs by leaning heavily on the run, and putting in a running QB. They have a great RB and a running QB. Two actually, Smith being one.

 

[Romofan]

As a Gore owner I hope they stick with what they are running - if they go to the spread Gore is going to be blocking more than he is now and a decrease in touches is a given - it looks to me like the Niners should be be 3-2 right now but they make so many boneheaded plays and turnovers at the worst times - they have shot themselves in the foot in every game I've watched...somehow finding a way to screw up what should be a win.

Vernon Davis owners on the other hand should be hoping for the spread - as soon as they installed it last year Davis became the #1 TE in football.....

 

[Clifford]

Since Singletary has the "win from here on out" mandate to keep his job, what are the chances he pulls Smith in the next game? I've got him in my lineup but there are other options. I can't afford to start someone in serious danger of getting pulled if they screw up, which we all know he will.

 

[NinerFan49]

As a Gore owner I hope they stick with what they are running - if they go to the spread Gore is going to be blocking more than he is now and a decrease in touches is a given - it looks to me like the Niners should be be 3-2 right now but they make so many boneheaded plays and turnovers at the worst times - they have shot themselves in the foot in every game I've watched...somehow finding a way to screw up what should be a win.Vernon Davis owners on the other hand should be hoping for the spread - as soon as they installed it last year Davis became the #1 TE in football.....

1. Gore is a good receiver so I bet he'd catch a lot of swing passes out of the Spread. And it's not like you can't run out of the Spread. There's even a good chance he'd do better running out of that system than vs 8 men in the box, which is what he's having to do now.2. Yes, the Niners "should" have won at least two games... if it weren't for bad luck... losing fumbles that become TDs, failing to recover fumbles that they do create, etc. But... them's the breakes... Luck is a part of the game...3. VD would kill out of the Spread.

 

[NinerFan49]

Since Singletary has the "win from here on out" mandate to keep his job, what are the chances he pulls Smith in the next game? I've got him in my lineup but there are other options. I can't afford to start someone in serious danger of getting pulled if they screw up, which we all know he will.

Expect Smith to face a short hook from here on out. One or two bad mistakes and he's very likely to get pulled...

 

[CaptainHook]

why did they go away from it? from the stats looks like their offense was really nice the last half of last season

 

[Drunken Cowboy]

why did they go away from it? from the stats looks like their offense was really nice the last half of last season

Because the coaching staff sucks.

 

[NinerFan49]

Because Singletary and Raye thought the team's offense should revolve around a caveman-like insistance on Gore running up the middle out of two back sets and "punching the other team in the mouth." That was a bad idea because the team's OL is simply not good enough right now to overpower DLs... especially when defenses don't respect the Niners' passing game and therefore play 8 men in the box on obvious running downs.

The problem was exacerbated by the team losing its starting center, forcing them to replace him with a guard, which has resulted in no push up the middle. In addition, the team has been way too predictable... 71% of its running plays were up the middle in the first 4 games... Even in week 5, the team's performance in two back sets was pretty bad.

Crabtree, incidentally, was the most productive player in college football in his senior year... working out of a spread offense...

I don't know how quickly it will happen, but I expect the new OC to start working in more and more spread plays.