MANUFACTURED JOY - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

Manufactured Joy is a series in which we'll be going through the NFL team by team, from the bottom to the top, and giving fans five good reasons why they should be excited to watch their team in action this season. Today, the San Francisco 49ers.

1. Vernon Davis’s third year!

This is the last year I let Vernon Davis break my heart, but I’m willing to give it to him, because it’s not fair to measure him as anything other than what he is: A dynamic wide receiver in a tight end’s body. As such, year three, traditionally the make or break year for receivers, is going to be similarly telling for Davis, who up to this point has been a non-factor for the offense. The team still lacks a wideout with the ability to stretch the field and catch the ball the way Davis can, and if he’s ever going to matter to this offense, it’s going to be with Mike Martz using him as his best vertical weapon (Arnaz Battle isn’t exactly putting the scares in people downfield) and Alex Smith leaning on him. Davis has all the gifts in the world to make it happen, so it’s time to make it happen.

2. Frank Gore has still got it!

Ok, last year was not a great year for Frank Gore, but come on, it’s not like he single-handedly murdered forward progress. Even as he destroyed fantasy teams nationwide, he put up over 1100 yards and averaged 4.2 yards a carry rushing, and threw up 436 receiving yards on 53 catches, and he did all of this while struggling with injuries! Furthermore, he was the victim of his team’s inexplicable decision to get away from the run. While there’s certainly an excuse for him getting less than 20 carries in blowouts like the 33-15 debacle against the Giants or the 37-16 squash against the Steelers, can someone explain how the same is true for a 9-7 grudge match against the Ravens? Again, it falls on former offensive wunderkind Martz to get Gore involved, and if he does expect things to get much easier for the offense as a whole.

3. Patrick Willis cometh!

This was the lone bright spot of last season, and to say Patrick Willis was good would do him a disservice. Patrick Willis was GREAT. Fun fact: Willis led the league in tackles with 174. The next guy down on the list had 33 fewer tackles. With the 49ers bringing in a beast of a defensive linemen to take up blockers in the middle, you have to imagine that Willis will have an even greater opportunity to destroy opponents all over the field. If that’s not worth watching, then I don’t know why I’m even doing these anymore…




4. Drafting for the trenches!

No matter what anyone else says about any other position, the fact remains that you turn a bad team into a good team quickly by repairing the lines. The Jets and Bears did it offensively in 2006. The Giants proved that consistent production from the line defensively can win championships last year. This past draft, the 49ers were evidently hoping they could get a similar spark. The team took three linemen in the first four rounds, including physical monster DT Kentwon Balmer and potential second round steal (if he can stay focused) OG Chilo Rachal. Both of these players are considered high risk/high reward gambles at their respective positions, but considering the state of the team last year (Willis needed some help up front to create problems in the backfield, and the offensive line gave up 55 sacks), a gamble was needed to save a whole lot of jobs, including that of head coach Mike Nolan, and in a division where literally anybody can win the whole thing (in ugly, pyrrhic fashion, but still win it), even a slight turnaround could produce big results.

5. Mike Martz + Alex Smith = ALEX SMITH IS NOT A BUST!

Seriously, can we all agree on this and shut up about the small hands already? In three years Smith has had to learn three different offenses from three different coordinators, and he’s on his fourth. In 2006, but for a close scrape against the Seahawks, his team would have gone to the playoffs in his second year, and he put up almost 3000 yards starting all 16 games. Oh, and who exactly is he throwing to? Arnaz Battle? Ashley Lelie? The most potent downfield threat he’s had is Antonio Bryant. HOW IS THAT FAIR TO A FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK FORCED TO START AS SOON AS HE ENTERED THE LEAGUE?!? The point is that outside of his small hands (on which there’s been an inexplicable focus), Smith has all of the tools to succeed, and has shown he can do so over the course of a season when the staff opens the offense up and lets him use his outstanding gifts, including a tragically underrated intelligence on the field, to make things happen. Under Martz, barring a wildly idiotic decision to hand the keys over to generic “We’re going 6-10, tops” backups Hill and Sullivan, look for Smith to finally get the chance to sink his teeth into an offense that plays to both his physical and mental strengths, especially if even one of the hyper-talented pieces around him (ahem…Davis…Gore…) plays up to their potential.