Bell Tolls: 49ers must look new in New Orleans
It's open season on Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers.
Whatever happened to the team that advanced to the last three NFC title games?
They are so undisciplined now, ranking near the top of the NFL in penalties — and pressed to convert on a goal-line quarterback sneak when they really need it.
There's a lack of identity with the offense, that used to revolve around running back Frank Gore, but has morphed in other directions behind talented-but-unpredictable quarterback Colin Kaepernick — and is worst in the NFL in the red zone.
They are battered, too. While waiting for all-pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman to return with a rebuilt knee and pass-rush phenom Aldon Smith to come back from suspension, they've had injury setbacks Vernon Davis and now Patrick Willis, the soul of the defense.
And there's all that turmoil. Harbaugh has been one of the NFL's best coaches since taking the reins in 2011, with a 40-15-1 record, but his future has been constantly debated. Can he coexist with general manager Trent Baalke? Are players tired of his demanding persona? Has he peaked?
Then there are the results.
The 49ers are 4-4, three games behind the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals and a rung on the ladder below their beloved rival, the Seattle Seahawks.
Even some of the team legends, such as Jerry Rice and Steve Young, have offered scathing reviews.
To make matters worse, there's a make-or-break game on Sunday in the most extreme conditions.
You want to turn this thing around, 49ers? Go beat the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Talk about a stiff test. The Saints have won 11 in a row at home.
What a great opportunity — or moment of truth.
With a depleted squad lacking playmakers on defense and consistency on offense, the 49ers face the possibility of getting run out of the dome.
Last year when they visited New Orleans, the 49ers could have — maybe should have — won. They were stung by a controversial roughing the passer call on Ahmad Brooks, and wound up losing by a field goal.
Even in defeat that day, the 49ers demonstrated that they were the type of team that could gut it out in a hostile environment.
But that was a different team.
There's no such identity now, unless the short-handed 49ers can find a way to recapture their spirit.
That's the challenge. It's what championship teams manage to do, when facing the worst adversity.
The season is not over yet for the desperate 49ers. But a loss on Sunday could effectively send them over the edge of no return to the playoffs. It's crisis time..
Win, and that same theme will continue, with so much ground to cover. The good news is that over the stretch run, the 49ers will have three games against the Seahawks and Cardinals.
Or maybe that's the bad news.
But first things first. The 49ers need more than a mere statement victory.
This is a team that needs to not only win, but to find themselves when it matters most. The defining moment has arrived.
Who are the 49ers now?
We're about to find out a lot more.
Other items of interest, as Week 10 rolls on…
Who's hot: Justin Houston. With an NFL-high 12 sacks through eight games, the Chiefs' outside linebacker heads into Buffalo as a key reason his hot team has won five of six games. He's on pace to break Michael Strahan's single-season NFL sack record (22 1/2 in 2001), and is central to an intriguing subplot in a matchup of 5-3 teams. The Bills and Chiefs rank 1-2, respectively, in sacks per game. It will be interesting to see which defense is better at inflicting its will to swing the outcome. Houston might have an edge when considering that Bills quarterback Kyle Orton has been sacked 17 times on just 141 dropbacks — the highest rate in the league.
Key matchup: Frank Gore vs. Curtis Lofton. This would be a good week for the 49ers to flow with a steady diet of Gore, who has logged just one game this season with 20 carries after 11-such games the previous two seasons. It seems logical enough for devising any formula to beat the Saints in the Superdome. Hog the ball, try to keep it away from Drew Brees. But that is hardly automatic. The Saints defense is ranked 10th against the run, and has been even better in that department at the Dome, allowing just 71 rushing yards per game, fewest at home for any unit in the NFL. Lofton, an inside linebacker, has been the most consistent player on the front seven, leading the Saints with 72 tackles and 49 solo stops. If the 49ers are to execute a plan built on a dominant running game, it will have to go through Lofton.
Rookie watch: Khalil Mack. Not only are the Raiders trying to beat Peyton Manning for their first victory of the season, the first-round outside linebacker is still seeking his first NFL sack. Mack, chosen fifth overall from the University of Buffalo, was part of the pre-draft debate as some suspected that he might be a better long-term option than Jadeveon Clowney. The definitive answer may not come for years. As it stands now, Mack has been active on run defense and is tied for third on the team with 50 tackles. But after posting 10 1/2 sacks and forcing five fumbles last season en route to MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, the big plays have been far and few between on the next level.
Pressure's on: Tony Romo. It's a different type of pressure for the Cowboys' much-maligned quarterback as he nurses a back injury. Can he play through the pain? Team owner Jerry Jones has made it clear where he stands on the issue, with the circumstances of a two-game losing streak including backup Brandon Weedon's brutal outing against the Cardinals adding to the equation. Dallas traveled a long way for a must-win game against the Jaguars, but there are other barometers to be measured in London. NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray had 19 carries in each of the back-to-back losses (Dallas is 17-1 when he has at least 20 rushes) and Dez Bryant had just five catches the past two weeks. But it's clear that the other parts don't work quite as well without the trigger man. Which underscores some additional pressure: The Cowboys sure needed to back their blitz-protection schemes for the long flight overseas.
Next man up: Mark Sanchez. With Nick Foles sidelined for several weeks by a broken collarbone, the Eagles' playoff push is hitched to Sanchez, who will make his first start for Philadelphia on Monday night against the Panthers. This could work out much better for the quarterback than his Jets experience. Just look at the supporting cast. Chip Kelly crafting the X's and O's in a creative offense. An O-line that should get closer to the level it was on as one of the NFL's best, as Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis get back into the flow after battling injuries. A rushing attack powered by LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. An impact receiver in Jeremy Maclin. Sanchez actually outplayed Foles during the summer as he picked up Kelly's scheme. If he drives the bus to the playoffs, he could make it difficult to reinsert Foles into the lineup.
Stat's the fact: In building the NFL's best record, the Cardinals (7-1) have scored the same amount of points as they have allowed in the first three quarters — 122 — but they've buried opponets in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 70-34. This is the latest point in the season that the Cardinals have had the NFL's best record since 1966, when they started 7-1-1. Somehow, though, this year's unit — with its strong finishes — doesn't seem destined to follow the path of the '66 Cards, which collapsed down the stretch and wound up 8-5-1, good for fourth place in the then-NFL Eastern Conference.
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