OFFENSIVE
by Andy Mindzak


Alex Smith's maturation will be a major key
if San Francisco is going to be a success in '07

Before I even get into my preview of the 2007 San Francisco 49ers, I would like to have a moment of silence for the great Bill Walsh who recently passed away.  He was the innovator of the West Coast offense, won 3 Super Bowl rings, and taught several very good head coaches that ended up running NFL teams (Bill Belichick, Mike Holmgren, and Dennis Green,  just to name a few).  Walsh will be missed, but his legacy will not be forgotten.  With that in mind, the 2007 49ers will be improved from the ’06 version that saw them go 7-9 and finish 3rd in the NFC West.  The Niners have added a few veterans to give them even more experience, and that will pay off huge this year.

After finishing dead last in defense in 2006, their first priority was to bolster that unit before this year.  They did so by drafting LB Patrick Willis out of Mississippi, and signed CB Nate Clements.  They also added a true #1 WR when they acquired Darrell Jackson.  They also added Ashley Lelie from Denver, but he’s about as useful as an expired plane ticket.  Overall, San Francisco did a nice job working on their defense, and coach Mike Nolan, who used to be the Ravens defensive coordinator, will make things work this year.

Offensively, S.F. was towards the bottom of the NFL in points scored with 298, but their rushing attack ranked then 6th in the league, and you can thank Frank Gore for that.  QB Alex Smith is another year older and wiser, and I would look for that to reflect in their standings this year.  With the addition of aforementioned Jackson and TE Vernon Davis catching passes, I would expect their offense to break out big time in ’07.

Defensively, the Niners were a wreck last year.  They gave up the most points in the NFL by allowing 412 last year.  With the additions of Willis and Clements, coach Nolan has some solid building blocks to work with.  CB Walt Harris returns, as he led the Niners in interceptions last year with 8.  Overall, this defense will be much improved in ’07 and will not be pushed around like they were in ’06.

BEST-CASE SCENARIO:
The 49ers significantly improve last year’s record and finish 10-6.  The beginning of their season looks rough with away games at St. Louis and Pittsburgh, and then coming home to face Seattle and Baltimore, but facing the Cardinals twice each year is always nice, and they finish the year up against Tampa Bay and Cleveland.  Provided Gore is healthy all year (keep an eye on his broken hand), they will definitely be a surprise team in 2007.
    
WORST-CASE SCENARIO:
The team goes 7-9 or even worse.  They play Seattle and St. Louis twice this year, and games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Carolina, Minnesota, and Cincinnati are never easy match ups.  As long as their defense can keep them close in games, their offense should be able to provide the spark to pull out some surprise wins.  Overall, I would say S.F. finishes at 8-8 this year.