49ers Clubhouse

Contra Costa Times

Time for Mariucci to make the calls

December 31, 2001

by NEIL HAYES: TIMES COLUMNIST
ST. LOUIS
WE CAN ONLY assume the 49ers used only their most basic offensive plays against the St. Louis Rams on Monday night.
It seems logical that they would employ their most vanilla game plan knowing the ever observant New York Giants were already gathering intelligence for next Sunday's first-round playoff game at Candlestick Park.
To the untrained eye, however, their vanilla game plan looks strikingly similar to their chocolate mint chip and strawberry cheesecake game plans.
That's why the 49ers weren't fooling anybody, least of all the Giants, and that's why coach Steve Mariucci needs to start calling his own plays.
Their season-long strategy of boring opponents into submission with runs off tackle and shorts passes over the middle has outlived its effectiveness.
It has proved successful against mediocre teams, as the 49ers proved once again with a 20-play, game-opening drive that consumed 12:07 in a 31-20 loss to the Rams in the oversized Alpo can they call the Edward Jones Dome.
It was the most time consuming drive of the NFL season and might have even made the highlight film if it hadn't ended with a field goal.
They will be lucky to cross midfield if they run similar plays against the Giants, however. The offensive strategies they have employed this season will not carry them through the playoffs, which is reason enough for Mariucci to wrest the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.
Mariucci is the only playoff coach whose future with his team is in question. Wouldn't it be in his best interest to make the decisions that could ultimately determine how far his team advances in the postseason?
Anyone who has watched the 49ers closely this season knows the tendencies. An incomplete pass on first down is almost always followed by a run. A third-down pass will almost always be thrown to a receiver standing near the first-down marker. They'll only throw downfield if someone holds a gun to their heads.
The 49ers' third-down percentage is the highest in the league, but that's because they never gain any significant yardage on first or second downs. Every play is a safe play; every pass is thrown to an underneath receiver. This offense is just good enough to keep games close against quality teams.
If we can figure that out from the comfort of our living room, don't you think NFL defensive coordinators know that by now?
Giants coach Jim Fassel took over the play-calling duties when his offense became stagnant and his team responded with seven wins in its last nine games.
Mariucci, like Fassel, is an offensive coach who has called plays in the past. If he's worried about offending Knapp -- oh well. He may be doing the guy a favor. Knapp is in the final year of his contract and it's unlikely he'll be re-signed if the offense flops and the 49ers lose to the Giants.
It's even a smart thing to do politically, and we all know that pro coaches are politicians. By announcing that he will call the plays himself Mariucci will distance himself from the offensive mediocrity we've seen so far.
They say style points don't count in the NFL as long as you win, but that's not the case in San Francisco, where the offense has always been held to a higher standard. Blame it on Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young, who always picked their Hall of Fame performances apart, but it's true.
Style points do count. It's not good enough to be effective when you can be prolific. Being efficient isn't good enough. You need to be dynamic, too.
The 49ers are neither prolific nor dynamic, and it could end up costing Mariucci his job, which would be a shame because he has put a positive face on this franchise through years of rebuilding and administrative turmoil.
His offense needs a wake-up call. Seventeen points per game won't get it done in the playoffs. Defenses have adjusted to the 49ers offense and the 49ers haven't responded. At this point, we can only conclude that Knapp isn't capable of the imagination necessary to give this team a puncher's chance.
If Mariucci wants to catch the Giants unawares he should serve up a banana split. Nobody is suggesting the 49ers unveil the run-and-shoot or triple option, but he should make opponents defend the entire field instead of the 12-yard zone nearest the line of scrimmage. There's still time to make the offense more innovative and less predictable. If he wants to help his team take the next step in its development he'll call the plays himself and open up the offense.
It's time to start trying to win games instead of trying not to lose them.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.

by NEIL HAYES: TIMES COLUMNIST

ST. LOUIS

WE CAN ONLY assume the 49ers used only their most basic offensive plays against the St. Louis Rams on Monday night.

It seems logical that they would employ their most vanilla game plan knowing the ever observant New York Giants were already gathering intelligence for next Sunday's first-round playoff game at Candlestick Park.

To the untrained eye, however, their vanilla game plan looks strikingly similar to their chocolate mint chip and strawberry cheesecake game plans.

That's why the 49ers weren't fooling anybody, least of all the Giants, and that's why coach Steve Mariucci needs to start calling his own plays.

Their season-long strategy of boring opponents into submission with runs off tackle and shorts passes over the middle has outlived its effectiveness.

It has proved successful against mediocre teams, as the 49ers proved once again with a 20-play, game-opening drive that consumed 12:07 in a 31-20 loss to the Rams in the oversized Alpo can they call the Edward Jones Dome.

It was the most time consuming drive of the NFL season and might have even made the highlight film if it hadn't ended with a field goal.

They will be lucky to cross midfield if they run similar plays against the Giants, however. The offensive strategies they have employed this season will not carry them through the playoffs, which is reason enough for Mariucci to wrest the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

Mariucci is the only playoff coach whose future with his team is in question. Wouldn't it be in his best interest to make the decisions that could ultimately determine how far his team advances in the postseason?

Anyone who has watched the 49ers closely this season knows the tendencies. An incomplete pass on first down is almost always followed by a run. A third-down pass will almost always be thrown to a receiver standing near the first-down marker. They'll only throw downfield if someone holds a gun to their heads.

The 49ers' third-down percentage is the highest in the league, but that's because they never gain any significant yardage on first or second downs. Every play is a safe play; every pass is thrown to an underneath receiver. This offense is just good enough to keep games close against quality teams.

If we can figure that out from the comfort of our living room, don't you think NFL defensive coordinators know that by now?

Giants coach Jim Fassel took over the play-calling duties when his offense became stagnant and his team responded with seven wins in its last nine games.

Mariucci, like Fassel, is an offensive coach who has called plays in the past. If he's worried about offending Knapp -- oh well. He may be doing the guy a favor. Knapp is in the final year of his contract and it's unlikely he'll be re-signed if the offense flops and the 49ers lose to the Giants.

It's even a smart thing to do politically, and we all know that pro coaches are politicians. By announcing that he will call the plays himself Mariucci will distance himself from the offensive mediocrity we've seen so far.

They say style points don't count in the NFL as long as you win, but that's not the case in San Francisco, where the offense has always been held to a higher standard. Blame it on Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young, who always picked their Hall of Fame performances apart, but it's true.

Style points do count. It's not good enough to be effective when you can be prolific. Being efficient isn't good enough. You need to be dynamic, too.

The 49ers are neither prolific nor dynamic, and it could end up costing Mariucci his job, which would be a shame because he has put a positive face on this franchise through years of rebuilding and administrative turmoil.

His offense needs a wake-up call. Seventeen points per game won't get it done in the playoffs. Defenses have adjusted to the 49ers offense and the 49ers haven't responded. At this point, we can only conclude that Knapp isn't capable of the imagination necessary to give this team a puncher's chance.

If Mariucci wants to catch the Giants unawares he should serve up a banana split. Nobody is suggesting the 49ers unveil the run-and-shoot or triple option, but he should make opponents defend the entire field instead of the 12-yard zone nearest the line of scrimmage. There's still time to make the offense more innovative and less predictable. If he wants to help his team take the next step in its development he'll call the plays himself and open up the offense.

It's time to start trying to win games instead of trying not to lose them.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.