Thursday, August 29, 2002 Updated: September 3, 3:31 PM ET
San Francisco 49ers
By
LAST SEASON: 124, lost to Packers in wild-card game PROJECTION: 2nd in NFC West
Coach Rathman has big plans for Hearst.
The Niners have the O and D to be an NFC heavy. Problem is they still have to go through St. Louis. Be happy with 11-5 and a spot in the playoffs.
STRONG SIDE
RB: "Two thousand-yard runners," says Niners RB coach Tom Rathman. "That's my goal." Can do. Garrison Hearst (1,206 rushing yards) is a big-time back who made the Pro Bowl after missing two seasons with a broken ankle. Second-year stud Kevan Barlow (512) could be another. The Niners' strict rotation at RB gave them the league's second-best rushing attack in 2001. This year, Hearst and Barlow could also be on the field at the same time, creating dangerous mismatches. FBs Terry Jackson and Fred Beasley are legitimate pass-catching threats -- when they aren't blocking for the two potential 1,000-yarders.
WEAK SIDE
ST: The coverage units will be fine because the roster is full of fast young hitters. Returns are in the capable hands and legs of Cedrick Wilson and Jimmy Williams. But the specialists aren't very special. K Jose Cortez finished poorly last year -- four blocks because of low kicks -- so the Niners coughed up a signing bonus bigger than Cortez's salary to land Florida's Jeff Chandler. Second-year P Jason Baker is only average.
QB:Jeff Garcia doesn't stay in the pocket, doesn't slide into tackles and doesn't run out of bounds. He also doesn't miss games, at least not in his two straight Pro Bowl years. Don't expect much to change. His legs (254 yards, 5 TDs) are as important as his arm (3,538 yards, 32 TDs, 62.7%) to the 49ers' success.
WR:Terrell Owens (93 catches, 1,412 yards, 16 TDs) has put aside his differences with Steve Mariucci. Good. The coach is not his problem; finding a partner at WR is. J.J. Stokes (585 yards, 7 TDs) needs to emerge as a threat. If not, Tai Streets and Cedrick Wilson are waiting in the wings.
OL: The Niners move guys around on the line and still move the ball. This year, RG Dave Fiore goes to LG to make room for FA Ron Stone, a Pro Bowler. Blue-collar tackles Scott Gragg and Derrick Deese don't impress on paper, but C Jeremy Newberry (2001 Pro Bowler) does.
DL:Bryant Young and Dana Stubblefield are forces at DT, but this outfit's anchors are second-year DE Andre Carter and third-year stud John Engelberger. If Carter, a Charles Haley-type QB chaser, can catch RBs the way he gobbles up QBs (6.5 sacks), the reconstruction of the Niners D will be complete.
LB: Fast. Talented. Young. The "old man" is MLB Derek Smith, 27. Julian Peterson and Jeff Ulbrich hold down the outside and Jamie Winborn fills in. Rookie Saleem Rasheed would start elsewhere, but he'll see the field most on special teams. Yeah, the Niners don't have a Pro Bowl linebacker. Yet.
DB: The 49ers (No.3 in INTs with 24) got better with No.1 pick Mike Rumph. He'll join CBs Ahmed Plummer (7 INTs) and Jason Webster (3 INTs), and S Zack Bronson (7 INTs) to provide plenty of cover.
This article appears in the September 16 issue of ESPN The Magazine.
