49ers running game could provide relief for Gore workload

The 49ers have finished their first session of OTAs and the team is slowly figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of both the offense and defense. Earlier in the week, the 49ers were hit with the injury bug and the hardest hit was on cornerback Walt Harris. Harris suffered an ACL injury and would more than likely be out for the rest of the year.

The 49ers then immediately signed veteran Dre Bly to a one-year deal to fill in for Harris' spot. Bly now will more than likely battle Tarell Brown and Shawntae Spencer for the open starting job.

One of the biggest things on offense that the team will focus on is the running game. The team already have an established star running back in Frank Gore. After three consecutive seasons of 1,000 rushing yards, a lot more pressure will be put on Gore and the running game.

Gore's best season came when Norv Turner ran the offense in 2006. Since then, Gore's numbers have dipped under the offense of Jim Hostler and Mike Martz.

Gore calls Martz's offense very finesse as the passing game was the main focus of attack. But now under the running style of offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, we should expect a similar offense as the one from 2006. Gore has already expressed his liking to the new playbook.

"Yeah. I like it so far. We're running the ball a lot. We're doing a lot of downhill runs, and that's my type of running style," Gore said in comments transcribed by the team.

A part of Gore's running game is the straight ahead, downhill style. The new offense should provide that opportunity for him. Raye's playbook offers a lot of counters, which will allow the guard to pull out of the line to block for Gore. With that style, Gore will be allowed to follow his blockers through the hole.

Another part of Gore's success from 2006 came from his fullback Moran Norris. After spending one season in Detroit, Norris returned to San Francisco. Norris was a great complimentary back to Gore's running style and the 49ers are hoping that they can repeat such success.

In an earlier post, I had talked about a observation from the Sac Bee's Matt Barrows. I had mentioned that third-round draft pick Glen Coffee's running style might need improvement. The style, a galloping type, was something that I had initially believed to be something could require work. Obviously, such a style has seen success in the NFL (Roger Craig, Walter Payton) and I was quick to criticize it. However, the projected style of offense the 49ers have installed doesn't look to be something great for a galloping style.

The style itself is a style that can work if the rest of the running attack is smooth. Gore and Coffee are expected to be a 1-2 punch in the running game, but Gore does expect to see the majority of the carries. If Gore does take a majority of the rushes as he expects to, Coffee will be that "change of pace" back that so many teams have used in recent years.

Teams like the Jaguars (Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew), Vikings (Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor) and Giants (Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward) all featured backs with two distinct styles of running. That is what the 49ers are looking to establish themselves.

Watching Coffee at Alabama showed me that he is capable of going outside or going downhill. A little background on Coffee from the 49ers website:

In 35 games (17 starts) for the Crimson Tide, gained 2,107 yds. on 410 carries with 14 TDs, and 42 catches for 351 yds. with 2 TDs receiving. In his final season at Alabama, the All-SEC selection and Doak Walker Award semi-finalist rushed for 1,383 rushing yds and 10 TDs. His rushing yds. tied Shaun Alexander as the 2nd-best total in school history, while his 5.9 yds. per carry in 2008 ranked 6th all-time. In 2007, played in 9 games (3 starts) and rushed for 545 yds. and 4 TDs, and had 18 catches for 118 yds. and a TD. Granted a medical redshirt in 2006 after recording 179 rushing yds. and 91 receiving yds. as a true freshman.

The two-back system for the 49ers could very well provide the type of running success the previously mentioned teams have had. If the 49ers offense isn't all downhill running like I had initially predicted, Coffee can excel with his galloping style.

Coming out of Alabama, scouting reports said that he will be best suited as a downhill runner. Looks like he may be fit for both downhill and outside running. That definitely will be a great compliment to Gore this upcoming season. And as the 49ers continue to build their offense around the strengths of the passing game, we know clearly that the strengths of the running game have already been in place. Let's hope that it gels for this upcoming season.

(examiner.com)