| Jean-Luc Nicolas. 11th September, 2006 - 5:09 pm
 You had to know that there was a distinct reason why the San Francisco organization seemed strangely indifferent about the Reggie Bush hunt. That confidence was even more defined when the Niners dealt Kevan ‘Nolan is Hitler’ Barlow to the Jets. Make no mistake about it, Frank Gore is the guy in the backfield.
In Week 1 at Arizona, Gore ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns, but more importantly, he gave Alex Smith a short-throw option by accumulating 83 receiving yards. He has a history of injury problems, but with the way he is built, he looks like he will have no problem staying healthy throughout the season. He had 22 touches on Sunday and that number will creep up as the season moves on.
Vernon Davis scored a touchdown in his very first drive in the red and gold, with a 31 yard screen pass off a play-action to Gore. It was a classic ‘run after the catch’ touchdown, as Smith hit Davis on the 26 yard-line and the tight end dodged three Arizona defenders to reach the corner of the end zone. Despite the fumble, he is every bit as good as advertised. If he isn’t already a top-3 tight end, he surely will be by Week 10. Any quarterback, no matter how experienced or talented, can use a quality tight end, but the way in which he makes Smith look so much better raises his value even more.
The often-overlooked other receiving threat that was acquired this off-season, Antonio Bryant, also had a huge game, with 114 yards on four catches, including one for 46 yards. Bryant was a thousand yard receiver for the lowly Browns and despite a history of attitude problems, even with Bill Parcells, he has a ton of talent and quickly makes you forget about Brandon Lloyd.
This club battled for all 60 minutes and even had a chance to tie the game when Smith threw a hail mary as time expired which Davis nearly was able to catch.
Let’s not forget that the 49ers were victorious in Week 1 last year with a win over St. Louis at home, but there is much more to be optimistic about with this loss at Arizona. Smith, Gore, Bryant and Davis make up an exciting young core that likes to compete and restore a franchise that has completely lost its luster.
nicolasjeanluc@yahoo.com |
