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**Schwahalala** · 09-09-2005, 08:04 AM

49ERS PREVIEW
OFF AND RUNNING
Kevin Lynch, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

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Football Preview 2006
49ERS
Nolan Era off and running

Defensive tackle Bryant Young, standing before the locker he has occupied since 1994, and was asked about the changes the team has undergone this season.

"Everything I've learned in 11 years is out the window," said Young, who is the only 49er remaining from the franchise's last Super Bowl team. Young was referring to the defensive terminology, but he could have been talking about the entire franchise.

The 49ers are undergoing the most radical change since Bill Walsh took over as coach in 1979.

Gone is the defensive terminology dreamed up mainly by former defensive coordinator and head coach George Seifert.

Gone is the Walshian fascination with passing and the pass-first philosophy. The only similarity Walsh and new coach Mike Nolan share is their autocratic control of the team and organization.

Nolan, like Walsh, has sway over nearly every aspect of the team. He even had input into the hiring of minor office personnel. But mostly he's adamant about setting the policy and direction for his players.

"The players are probably sick of hearing it," Nolan said last week during a speech at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Kickoff Luncheon. "Personnel, structure, chemistry. Personnel, structure, chemistry."

Nolan's philosophy is to place the right players in a successful structure. From there, Nolan believes, an unbeatable chemistry will develop.

But his structure will not be defensive-line dominated nor will it employ a shifty, undersized offensive line that's bent on outthinking the opposition. Instead, Nolan has made the linebackers the kings of this defense, and the offense will employ a straight-ahead, smash-mouth running game.

In the late '80s and most of the '90s, the Seifert defense was about the linemen. In the seven drafts he helped direct, Seifert chose 17 defensive linemen out of the 57 players picked, far more than any other position. Only seven offensive linemen were chosen in the same stretch.

He would advocate for a defensive lineman so often, Seifert once joked that the personnel department would tackle him if he went to the draft board and chose another one.

While defensive linemen are just as essential in Nolan's new 3-4 scheme, they are no longer the featured group.

"Our job is to keep those (offensive linemen) off the 'backers so they can run," Young said.

Since the linebackers are the most talented group on the team, they are allowed to take chances and shoot gaps. Linebackers are given the freedom at times to abandon their responsibility and fire into the backfield.

"They want us to play fast and explosive," linebacker Saleem Rasheed said. "The thing they emphasize a lot is be a football player. (Coaches say) 'We don't want to slow you down.' "

Nolan and defensive coordinator Billy Davis recognize that the 49ers' linebackers are built on speed and aggression, and coaches have structured a defense that takes advantage of those traits.

Also, the influence of linebackers and assistant head coach Mike Singletary can't be minimized. He has the most input on the coaching staff and he wants his unit to play the way he played when he was going to Pro Bowls annually with the Bears.

"Mike expects us to be the quarterbacks of the defense," Rasheed said. "He expects us to know what everybody else is doing."

Typically, defensive calls fall to the safeties, but the San Francisco linebackers will be involved as much if not more.

Nolan's defensive bent has also spread to the offense. Like most former defensive coordinators, Nolan believes in a strong running game. In fact, if possible, he would never pass.

Nolan and offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy want a run-oriented offense that wears out a defense by game's end, and McCarthy doesn't seem to care if the defense knows it.

The team used its "jumbo" group -- a two-tight end, two-back, one-receiver formation -- often in the exhibition season. In the exhibition finale, McCarthy used a three-tight end, two-back, no wide-receiver set. One of the tight ends was tackle Patrick Estes and the fullback was defensive tackle Anthony Adams.

The 49ers tried to lean on the run last year, but they often abandoned the strategy when they fell behind. This year, it may be different.

"I think we are good enough that if we are seven or 10 points down that we will continue to grind it out and win games in the fourth quarter," center Jeremy Newberry said.

While McCarthy's offense is varied, he will be basic with the run, maybe installing five or six run plays every week.

"I'm a firm believer that if you tell the defense what you are going to do and you block it right, there's not a damn thing they can do about it," said Newberry, sharing the view of his offensive coordinator.

The run-first philosophy has the support of the offensive line, which would prefer to run than pass.

"When you run, you are delivering the blow instead of receiving it," Newberry said. "We like that."

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Keys to the season
1. An effective running game. The passing game isn't strong enough to function without the threat of the run.

2. Good health. The team lacked depth to begin with, and with so many players learning new positions, backups didn't get sufficient playing time this preseason.

3. An opportunistic defense. The 49ers will be at a talent deficit with most teams they play, so creating turnovers and then ball control are essential.

4. Strong special teams. With a new offense and defense, the special teams must take up the slack, particularly early in the season while the other units learn.

5. Momentum on a stadium deal. If ownership's focus isn't spent on increasing revenue and securing a stadium, the organization is letting down its players and fans.

-- Kevin Lynch

E-mail Kevin Lynch at [email protected].

**Burrito Brother** · 09-09-2005, 08:11 AM

I'll be interested to see how many touches Steven Jackson gets.

**TTB** · 09-09-2005, 03:23 PM

The 49ers stink

The Rams should be able to win this one.

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