A Requiem For a Season and a Coach: Harbaugh bids farewell with win over Cards

Few would have predicted back at the start of the 2014 season that the campaign would end with Craig Dahl interception to seal victory in the last game of Jim Harbaugh's tenure with the San Francisco 49ers.

But that proved to be the unexpected end to a strange and disappointing, with back-up safety Dahl's pick ensuring a Gatorade bath for the 49ers head coach at the end of an emotionally charged day for players, staff and fans.

It is not the Gatorade bath that Harbaugh will have envisaged or wanted at the beginning of the year. The Niners went into the season in 'Super Bowl or bust' mode but never looked like contenders at any point as they struggled to put together consistent performances.

San Francisco's struggles were set against a backdrop of speculation surrounding Harbaugh's perspective departure, which was finally confirmed shortly after the 20-17 success over the Arizona Cardinals that sealed an 8-8 finish for the Niners.

Harbaugh leaves the 49ers with a fitting total of 49 wins (including post-season) and never experienced a losing season in his time in the Bay. He is now seemingly set to take over at his alma-mater, the University of Michigan, leaving fans and observers alike to wonder how the front office could not reconcile whatever differences they had with a coach as successful as Harbaugh.

The divorce between the Niners and Harbaugh has been described as 'mutual', yet from an outsiders perspective it appears as if this parting was anything but amicable.

However, it is difficult to decipher what issue the 49ers had with Harbaugh. In a press conference on Monday, CEO Jed York stressed that he and Harbaugh came to a "mutual decision" following "philosophical discussions" between the pair.

Meanwhile, Baalke insisted that his relationship with Harbaugh had been "misrepresented" by the media. Yet, with a large number of players coming out in support of their former head coach, it is clear that there was a break down in relations between Harbaugh and someone in the front office and not key members of the locker room as had been reported at certain points in the season.

We will probably never learn the real reason why Harbaugh and the Niners opted to part company after just one bad season. York spoke at the press conference about everybody in the organisation being held accountable for the failure to win a Super Bowl, but it seems Harbaugh is the only person that has paid for that disappointment.

If Harbaugh's departure is just a result of San Francisco's inability to make the postseason, then the move to allow him to walk looks to be an incredibly short-sighted one.

Even with the raft of injuries suffered by the 49ers this season, they still avoided a losing season and ,barring a few second-half collapses, could be playing post-season football. That appears to be being overlooked by a 49er hierarchy that has offered no real explanation as to why he was let go.

Confusion reigns. Now the 49ers have to move on and make sure they get the next hire right and make the most of the obvious talent present on the roster.

The end of the line: 49er tight ends in 2014

By Paul Kadwill


The San Francisco 49ers have been amongst the teams at the forefront of a revolution in the tight end (TE) position witnessed in the NFL over recent seasons.  As the NFL moves further and further towards being a pass-first league, the humble tight end is becoming ever-more valuable in modern offenses.
High profile athletes now rack up impressive yardage and touchdown totals that are on par with many of the top wide receivers in the league.

The 49ers helped to pioneer this trend with the addition of Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker to their side over the past several seasons.  Davis has broken team records for touchdowns and yards gained by a tight end, whilst at the same time providing excellent blocking abilities which have helped him become an athlete who can play every down of a football game.
With Delanie Walker, the 49ers had arguably the best #2 tight end in the league and a highly acclaimed ‘swiss army knife’ who lined up across the line of scrimmage and even in the backfield.  Walker left for the Tennessee Titans in 2013 and the 49ers tight end depth chart has never been the same since, even if many of his duties have been ably picked up by fullback Bruce Miller.




Vernon Davis has been described as the most athletically gifted player at in position in the NFL.  Possessing elite speed and superhuman levels of strength, Davis has worked hard since entering the league to improve his pass catching and blocking techniques, making him into the prototype new-era tight end that more teams are now coveting.
However, 2014 has seen a dramatic drop in the performance of the star TE.
So far in the thirteen games that he has started during the 2014 season, number eighty-five has gained only 236 yards receiving which calculates out to just over 18  yards per game.  Alongside this low yardage output Davis has just two touchdowns, both of which came in week one of the season, although he did have a 63 yard touchdown nullified against the Chargers in week 16 due to a chop-block penalty at the line of scrimmage.  In 2013, he had a record-breaking thirteen regular season touchdowns as well as 850 receiving yards.

The percentage of passes that Davis has caught compared to those thrown his way has dropped by over 6% between this year and last, which is another significant reduction.  As is the fact that the YAC (yards after the catch) figures for Davis have more than halved in twelve months.  Averaging 4.8YAC per catch in 2013, this year Davis is only achieving 2.1YAC.
He has been on the field for over 88% of the snaps this year, but has been targeted less than four times a game.  Whether this is due to a change in the offensive scheme, offensive line issues that lead to less time for Kaepernick to find his target, or a loss of confidence in Davis as a receiver, it is hard to tell, but the facts show that he is being thrown to a lot less this year than last, so not all of his performance issues can be attributed to him alone.

(Washington Post, 2014)

Sadly, its not just in the receiving game where Vernon Davis is struggling.  Usually a strong point, the blocking performance of the tight end has taken a nose dive too.  Davis has compiled a run-block Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of -9.9 in 2014.  In contrast, through the first 13 starts of the 2013 campaign his run block grade was +5.0.  Quite a drop.
After sitting out games due to back problems, it would not surprise me to find out at the end of the season that Davis has been hindered, possibly quite heavily, by health issues throughout the season.  How else can you explain such a difference in receiving and blocking performances between last year and this?  I certainly would not believe that it has been performed on purpose by a disgruntled player who is upset at not receiving a contract extension, as Davis has too much integrity and love for his colleagues to do such a thing.
Could it be a coaching issue that has created this dramatic decline?  Eric Mangini was promoted to Tight Ends Coach for this season, which has coincided with the dropoff in performances.  Are the two facts related in anyway?  Its impossible to know, but there are certain factions of the fanbase who are decidedly upset with the ex-Browns head coach being given a coaching role this year.


Behind Vernon Davis on the depth chart, a series of adverse events and underperformance have blighted the 49er tight ends during 2014.
Vance McDonald was chosen in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft out of Rice University.  With freakish size, speed and a natural catching ability, it was hoped, nee expected that McDonald would progress into Vernon Davis 2.0.
After a decidedly average first season, McDonald put in a couple of outstanding performances during the 2014 preseason and hopes were high that he would continue this progression into the regular season.  But apart from making strides in his blocking duties, McDonald struggled to perform this year, only gaining thirty yards on two receptions in eight games.  His season was cut short when he was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) on December the 9th with a back injury.

(Gamedayr, 2014)

The teams third tight end for most of the season had been Derrick Carrier.  The undrafted free agent had shown flashes of big-catch ability during the preseason but was used sparingly once the regular season started, mainly due to the reduced requirement of a third tight end in the 49ers offensive scheme.  In week 12 Carrier sustained a foot injury and as a result of this, was placed on IR on the day before Thanksgiving.  With Carrier on IR and McDonald nursing a back injury which eventually caused him to have his season cut short, the 49ers called up Garrett Celek from the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) list and Asante Cleveland from the practice squad to bolster the depth chart.

Garrett Celek was originally the third choice tight end for the 49ers but was placed on the PUP list before even the first preseason game had been played after becoming injured in the offseason workout program.  The brother of Eagles tight end Brent Celek, Garrett would see playing time in just three games before being placed on IR himself, suffering from an ankle injury that he picked up in the week 15 loss to Seattle.




So, with one game left to play in the 2014 season, the 49ers have just two healthy tight ends:  Vernon Davis and fifth choice Asante Cleveland.  For a team that not so long ago had two TEs that gave opposing defenses headaches, the fall in production from the position is staggering to say the least.

With Davis signed through to the end of next season and McDonald still on his rookie contract, chances are that the top of the positional depth chart will not be changing for next season.
This is of course, unless the front office decides that it makes more fiscal sense to cut ties with Davis, either via trading him or releasing him,  to save some of the $7,000,000+ of cap hit that he will generate if still on the roster for the start of the 2015 season, albeit with a $2million amount of dead money.  For such an elite player who has produced mightily for the team in the recent past (2014 aside), I cannot see the 49ers cutting ties with him, but funnier things have happened.
McDonald will get another chance to prove himself next year, but I would not be surprised if the 49ers looked at tight ends in the upper half of the draft in April next year, as if McDonald fails again and the team do not retain Vernon Davis for whatever reason, the 49ers will have no tight ends on the roster that can give their opposition trouble, unless Carrier or Celek make the large step up into being of #1 TE calibre.

The tight end position and depth chart is certainly one of the areas of the 49ers that will be intriguing to watch throughout the coming months.




Photograph references

Vernon Davis, Washington Post, viewed 20 December 2014, < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=http://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2014-11-09/AP/49ers_Saints_Football-08163.jpg&w=1484 >


Vernon Davis Vance McDonald, Gamedayr, viewed 20 December 2014, < http://gamedayrcom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/vernon-davis-vance-mcdonald.jpg >

This week in 49ers history: Week 17, 2010

By Paul Kadwill

Four years ago this week, San Francisco locked horns with divisional rival the Arizona Cardinals to complete their regular season schedule.  This of course, is also correct for the current 2014 season.

The connection between present day and 2010 go further too, as the earlier game was the first (and only) game that saw Jim Tomsula in charge of the 49ers, in the capacity of interim head coach.  This year finds Tomsula on top of the shortlist to replace current coach Jim Harbaugh if/when he leaves at the end of the season.

So, what shape were the 2010 team in, how did they fare during the season, and how did Tomsula get on with being the 49er head honcho?

The 2009 San Francisco side finished the season with an 0.500 record, under the supervision of Mike Singletary who was in his first full season as a head coach.  There was a lot of hope that the side could consolidate this position and post their first winning season since 2002.  The team even retained the same offensive coordinator for the first time in years, which was expected to help quarterback Alex Smith who had seen a new offense in every season of his NFL career.  

Sadly, the offensive coordinator in question was Jimmy Raye.  The ageing playcaller was firmly rooted in outdated offensive schemes which were too simplistic and struggled to make an impact against modern-day defenses.  His playbook was also heavily skewed towards running the ball, so with that in mind the 49ers picked up the services of free-agent veteran running back Brian Westbrook.  It was hoped that Westbrook could compliment starting running back Frank Gore to become a potent one-two punch out of the backfield.

The team also tried to address the problematic return-game by trading a fifth round draft pick to acquire the services of WR/returner Tedd Ginn Jr, who had breakneck speed but had not justified his first-round pick status since being chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the 2007 draft.

The 2010 draft was a mixed result, with some major additions being chosen alongside some players who would end up being classed as failures.  The offensive line was given a huge boost with monster tackle Anthony Davis and gigantuan guard Mike Iupati being added.  The steal of the draft occurred in the third round however, when the 49ers were able to pick up linebacker Navorro Bowman from Penn State University.  In between the first round linemen and the third round linebacker, was USC safety Taylor Mays who was picked in round two.  Mays would be a total bust for San Francisco and ended up being traded to Cincinnati.

After a hopeful NFL draft and a solid 2009, the 49ers kept up the momentum in the preseason, winning all four of the games and headed into the regular season full of confidence.

Then reality hit, and it hit hard.

The 49ers lost their first five games of the season. 

It was the first time the team had started 0-5 since 1979. After a week three loss to the Chiefs, OC Jimmy Raye was sent packing and was replaced by QB coach Mike Johnson.  After the 0-5 start, the next ten games were shared equally between wins and losses, meaning the team went into the final week with a miserable 5-10 record.  The final straw for Mike Singletary came in the week 16 loss to the St. Louis Rams and he was subsequently fired.

For the sole remaining game of 2010, defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was chosen as interim head coach.  A passionate and dedicated football man, Coach Tomsula was loved and respected not just by his linemen, but by the rest of the players and coaching staff, so he was a popular choice for the temporary role.

(Liz Hafalia, SF Chronicle)

In his sole game in charge, Tomsula and his 49ers team would round off the 2010 season with a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Going into this game, the Cardinals owned an identical 5-10 record to the 49ers, and had experienced an horrific seven-game losing streak during the middle of the season.  However, in the week before facing their divisional rivals, the Cardinals had rallied back to beat the Dallas Cowboys in the dying moments of the fourth quarter, so were looking to use that win to propel them past San Francisco.

The game

The first two possessions for both sides were flaccid and resulted in punts.  On the their third possession since receiving the ball to start the game, Arizona started on their own twenty yard line.  The first play resulted in a five yard penalty on Arizona for a false start, making it 1st and 15.  On the next play, Rookie Cardinals quarterback John Skelton dropped back and looked for a deep pass, only to be met by Justin Smith at full speed.  The 49er defensive end levelled Skelton for a nine-yard loss and a sack. This pushed Arizona onto the back foot, facing a 2nd and 24 from their own six.  After a short gain on the ground and an incomplete pass, the Cardinals punted the ball once again.

A poor Arizona punt meant that the home side took over on the Cardinals thirty-seven yard line.  Wasting no time, the 49ers dialled up a deep pass attempt and Alex Smith was able to find newly-signed speedster Ted Ginn Jr for a touchdown on the first play of the drive.  The 49ers were up 7-0.

 

With his third sack of the first quarter occurring on the first play of the next drive, it was clear that John Skelton would be having a bad day at the office.  His next pass was stopped for a loss and a third-down effort fell incomplete and the Cardinals were again lining up to punt the ball away.

Undeterred by a first-down sack, Alex Smith found multiple receivers on the next 49er drive, moving his team into the opposing half.  The 49er running game was continuing to struggle without star player Frank Gore, who had fractured his hip in a week 12 encounter against the Cardinals and was out for the season.  Arizona were able to halt the drive before the endzone but 49ers kicker Jeff Reed made the thirty-nine yard field goal to give his side a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

After another Cardinals punt the 49ers were again in possession of the ball, however a precise kick by Arizona punter Ben Graham had pinned the home side back on their own six yard line.  Sensing an opportunity, the visitors asserted themselves and held San Francisco to less than ten yards, forcing them to punt as well.  In an odd repeat of the short punt by Arizona earlier in the game, this time the 49ers were only able to propel the ball to their own thirty-seven yard line and John Skelton with the rest of the Arizona offense came trotting onto the field.  They picked up a quick-fire 17 yards on a couple of effective rushes and an eight yard completion by Skelton, leaving them just twenty yards from paydirt.

Trying to stem the Arizona flow, Justin Smith bullrushed past his blocker on 2nd down and sacked the quarterback.  The force of the impact jarred the ball loose and a chance to foil the attack was presented.  Sadly the ball bobbled out of bounds and so the Cardinals retained possession.

Larry Fitzgerald then caught his second pass of the game, moving his side ten yards closer to the endzone.  On the next play he caught his third and scored the first points of the game for Arizona.  After the extra point it was now 10-7 in the 49ers favour, with over seven minutes left in the half.

The next drives for both sides came up empty and so the 49ers went into halftime with a slender lead over their rivals.

San Francisco received the ball to start off the second half, with Ted Ginn Jr picking up twenty-four yards on the return.

Brian Westbrook picked up fourteen yards on a 3rd and 8 catch, taking the team to their own 41 yard line.  The first down play was again an intended pass to Westbrook, but it fell incomplete to make it 2nd and 10.  Then, with Alex Smith dropping back after the snap, tight end Vernon Davis ran a blistering ‘go’ route, easily outrunning his defender and hauled in Smiths pass, taking it all the way for a 59 yard touchdown.  Reeds extra point was good and the 49ers were now 17-7 to the good.

Hoping to retaliate straight away, Arizona found more frustration within their drive as Skelton continued to struggle with passing plays.  After more incompletions, the ball was punted away again.  

With two fouls on the Cardinals defense to start off the drive, the 49ers now began from their own 32 yard line.  Anthony Dixon picked up 8 rushing yards straight away, followed by a huge 30 yard rush by his  teammate Brian Westbrook.  The Cardinals were on the ropes and giving up yardage easily for the first time in the game.  Following another Dixon rumble and a 20 yard completion to Vernon Davis, the 49ers were just 6 yards away from scoring.  Barely 4 minutes since Davis lit up the scoreboard with a 59 yard touchdown, Brian Westbrook now added another score by running in from 6 yards out. The extra point made it 24-7 and there was still a quarter and a half left to play.

(dalje.com)

Things went from bad to worse for Arizona, when on their next possession John Skelton was intercepted by linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who returned it 32 yards before being tackled just 8 yards shy from scoring.  Two plays later Westbrook scored again from the ground and the 49ers now led 31-7.

After enduring such a torrid time behind center, John Skelton was benched in favour of 2nd-string quarterback Richard Bartel.  The visiting side were then finally able to string together a few plays and by the time that the 3rd quarter was drawing to a close, the Cardinals were just a yard away from the 49er endzone on 1st and goal.  An incomplete pass to Larry Fitzgerald was followed by a loss of 2 yards on a rushing attempt by running back tim Hightower, which made it 3rd and 3.  A quick pass attempt was thwarted which set up a 4th down for Arizona.  With nothing to lose and the fourth quarter now underway, the visitors went for it.  On 4th and 3, Bartel lobbed a quick pass up to Larry Fitzgerald, but the elite receiver was tightly covered by Tarrell Brown, meaning the Cardinals had failed to capitalise on the opportunity to score.  The 49ers took over from their own 3.

The latest 49er drive ended in a punt, as did the next possession for each team, so with a little over 7 minutes left in the game and the season, the Cardinals had the ball on their own 7 yard line.

With little point in rushing, the Cardinals sent out 3 and sometimes 4 receiver formations, trying desperately to restore at least some pride in their team before the season was over.  Finding more success than they had seen all game against a resurgent 49er defense, Bartel and his colleagues were able to chip away the yards and move the ball down to the San Francisco 43 yard line, but not before Justin Smith had collected his third sack of the game.  

Throwing a short pass to receiver Andre Roberts, Bartel instead found the arms of opposing cornerback Tarell Brown.  Showcasing his speed, Brown raced away down the sideline and crossed the goal line emphatically for a 62 yard touchdown, sealing the final nail into the Cardinals 2010 coffin.  Reed was automatic with the extra point and the score was now 38-7 to the hosts.

More desperate passing attempts were made in the final four minutes by the Cardinals, who were again able to get within a few yards of the endzone.  But with under a minute left, Ahmad Brooks sacked the Cardinals quarterback, which was the sixth time an Arizona quarterback had been sacked in the game.  That loss made it 4th and goal from the 11 yard line, where another failed pass to Larry Fitzgerald gave the ball back to San Francisco.  Alex Smith kneeled to end the game in a decisive 38-7 victory over the Cardinals, as well as an impressive and well earned debut win for interim head coach Jim Tomsula.

Every facet of the 49ers team had been instrumental in the victory.  Alex Smith had thrown for 279 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  Brian Westbrook had a brace of scores as well as 79 rushing yards, the defense had demolished the Cardinals with 6 sacks, 2 interceptions including one returned for a touchdown, and the special teams units had outperformed their opponents too.

It was a complete victory on all accounts, as the 49ers were able to put their divisional rivals to the sword, causing the Cardinals to finish the season in last place of the NFC West, with the 49ers one place ahead of them in third.

The 49ers ownership pulled off somewhat of a coup during the offseason, signing highly acclaimed college head coach Jim Harbaugh to a 5 year, $25million contract to become the new head coach.  This was despite the fact that Harbaugh was also offered more rewarding contracts to coach elsewhere in the NFL and in the college game.  Of course, we all know how the rest of the Harbaugh era has panned out…

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for taking the time to read my articles every week this season.  I do hope that you have enjoyed them.

I’d also like to thank Nicholas McGee for heading up the 49er Faithful UK blogsite, and of course Mike Palmer for doing such an astounding job of creating and maintaining this wonderful group!

Happy New Year!

Photograph references

Jim Tomsula, Liz Hafalia: San Francisco Chronicle, viewed 24 December 2014 <http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/07/53/07/2011599/9/920x920.jpg >

Tomsula greets Westbrook, dalje.com, viewed 24 December 2014 <http://dalje.com/slike/slike_3/r1/g2011/m01/ox281254837411419783.jpg >

This week in 49ers history: Week 16, 1983

By Paul Kadwill


In the year that saw the release of the third installment of the original Star Wars trilogy in cinemas around the world, perhaps from a 49ers perspective the year should be known as the “Return of the Genii”.
After a lacklustre 1982 season that was cut short by player strikes, there was a very real threat that Bill Walsh would walk away from the team that he had coached to Super Bowl glory in 1981.  Added to his potential loss was the fact that many of his coaching staff were being successfully headhunted for top jobs in the college and professional games.  Even with the return of the majority of the championship side, any future success with Walsh and co at the helm was hanging by a thread once the 1982 season was over.

So, why “Return of the Genii?”  Well, shortly after the 1983 Senior Bowl was completed, Walsh announced his intention to return as the head coach.  Alongside him was newly promoted defensive coordinator George Seifert, who had previously been coaching the defensive backs but had accepted the promotion when existing defensive coordinator Chuck Studley left for the Houston Oilers.
Promoting Seifert was an astute move by Walsh.  The former Kezar Stadium usher would prove to be the perfect defensive accompaniment to the offensive mastermind of Bill Walsh.  Both would be the cornerstones of future Super Bowl glories throughout the current decade and into the next.

After securing the coaching staff, Walsh turned his attention to the draft whereby he had one major gap in his depth chart to fill:  Running back.
Before the first round had even started the 49ers sealed a trade for Rams running back Wendell Tyler, who was deemed surplus to requirements in Los Angeles.  Then, with their second-round pick the 49ers selected Nebraska alum Roger Craig.  Whilst the acquisition of Tyler would provide an underwhelming return, Craig would of course go onto have an illustrious career.

The 49ers performed at a much higher level in 1983 when compared to the previous season.  Facing the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale, San Francisco had a 9-6 record and were looking to wrap up the NFC West and progress ahead into the playoffs.

Coming into Candlestick Park, Dallas had an impressive 12-3 record and were hoping for a big win as well as revenge against the team that had destroyed their Super Bowl chances when both teams last met in the bay area, during in the 1981 NFC Championship game.  Coached by living legend Tom Landry, the Cowboys were led by exemplary running back Tony Dorsett and quarterback Danny White, who helped their side score the second highest number of points in the NFL during 1982.



The game

Starting with possession of the ball, Joe Montana and the 49ers settled quickly and effortlessly into a rhythm.  Running the cerebral offensive scheme of Bill Walsh, the team quickly rattled down the field with both phases of the offense, the rush and the pass, working well against a Cowboys defense that had struggled all year.  From six yards out Joe Montana found rookie back Roger Craig, who caught the short pass and went in for a quick score.  7-0 to the 49ers.

(Associated Press, 2014)

After the first Dallas offensive possession was stonewalled deep in their own half, it was apparent that the home side had come into the game with far more motivation than their visitors.  Just to further emphasise this, following the ensuing Cowboy punt, 49er return man Dana McLemore picked up the ball at around the halfway line and returned the ball straight back to where it came from and beyond, penetrating the Dallas endzone for a fifty-six yard punt return for a touchdown.  Barely had the game started and the 49ers had a two-touchdown lead.

The visitors had slightly more success on their next drive, with Danny White hitting various receivers.  However, the drive faded and Dallas were forced to come away with just three points from a forty-seven yard field goal.

The scoring spree to start the game was not finished yet.  Before the first quarter finished, Montana hit Freddie Solomon in stride and the elusive receiver was able to take it all the way to the house for a huge seventy-seven yard touchdown.  Entering the second quarter, the 49ers led 21-3 and a blowout appeared to be on the cards.

The beleaguered Cowboys defense managed to stem the tide in the second quarter, stopping the home side from scoring further.  Meanwhile, with Tony Dorsett being shut down by a dominant 49er defensive line, quarterback Danny White took it upon himself to lead the visitors, finishing off a good drive by running in to score from a yard out.  As halftime arrived, the score was 21-10 in favour of San Francisco.



The 49ers reasserted themselves as the second half began by picking off Danny White in the third quarter.  White would end the game with three interceptions to his name.  Taking over following the take-away, Joe Montana orchestrated another drive that propelled the home side into the opposing red zone.  From 18 yards out, he found tight end Russ Francis for the first points after halftime, making it 28-10 in San Franciscos favour.

Both teams had done sterling jobs of halting each others running games and with an 18-point lead to erode, the Cowboys virtually discarded their ground attack to try to claw themselves back into the game.  Moving the ball steadily, Dallas found themselves thirteen yards from paydirt where receiver Tony Hill linked up with his quarterback to score.  28-17 to the 49ers, with the majority of the fourth quarter still to play.

The next home possession was thwarted and the 49ers were forced to punt the ball away. Sensing a slight opening back into contention for the win, Dallas again went on the attack through the air.  Disaster would strike however, as Danny Whites pass was picked off by 49er cornerback Eric Wright, who scythed through the dumbstruck Cowboys offense to return the pick for a 48-yard touchdown.  This all but extinguished any hopes that Dallas had of winning the game, with the score now 35-17 to San Francisco.

There was still time for the 49ers to stick the blade in further though, as another effective drive was rewarded with a 16-yard touchdown catch for Roger Craig, the second aerial touchdown of the game for the rookie running back.  With their once-mighty foe finally succumbing, the game ended with an historic 42-17 win for the 49ers.

The win capped off a successful season for the 49ers, who topped the NFC West with a 10-6 record.

During the Cowboys game, Joe Montana threw for 223 yards and four touchdowns.  Two of those touchdown passes were of course to Roger Craig.  The Nebraska rookie finished the game with 97 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, which completed a successful first year in professional league for Craig.  He finished 1983 with eight rushing touchdowns and 725 yards on the ground, as well as another four receiving touchdowns and a very useful 427 yards through the air.


After squeezing past the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the 1983 playoffs by a score of 24-23, San Francisco went onto the NFC Championship game to face the strongest side in the conference:  The Washington Redskins.
In a remarkable game, the 49ers went behind by 21 points by the time the fourth quarter started, only to rally back to draw level with the Redskins at 21-21.  Hearts were broken in the bay area when two inexplicable penalties were called against the 49ers in the dying minutes of the game, which allowed Washington to not only drive downfield and score the go-ahead field goal, but also to whittle away the clock to less than a minute to go before Montana and company could get back onto the field.  They were unable to answer the Redskins and thus, the 49ers season ended in a distraught and unjust fashion.

With the 1983 injustice firmly lodged in their memories, San Francisco would return in 1984 with one of the most dominant seasons ever witnessed, capping it off with the demolition of a talented Miami Dolphins side in Super Bowl 19.

Photograph reference:

Roger Craig celebrates against Dallas, Associated Press, viewed 19 December 2014 <http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/candlestick-park-levis-stadium#slide-6>

This week in 49ers history: Week 15, 1991

By Paul Kadwill

Twenty-three years ago this week, the San Francisco 49ers travelled north to Seattle to face the Seahawks.
As is the case with the current team, the ‘91 side took the journey whilst in the possession of a record that tallied seven wins and six losses, as well as enduring a season marred by injuries to several key players.

After losing out on the chance of the ‘three-peat’ in 1990 thanks to a demoralising loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game, the front office of the 49ers undertook a severe cull of the roster that had earned them back-to-back Super Bowls and a host of accolades in the previous decade.
Some of the upper echelon of talent was retained including the likes of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, but numerous elite players were either released or allowed to retire.  Players such as Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, Matt Millen, Jim Fahnhorst and Keena Turner departed as the front office desperately looked to balance the books after taking financial risks to retain every player for the 1990 assault to earn a third Lombardi trophy in a row.
Such was the depth of talent that Bill Walsh had accumulated, tthat he team was still expected to be competitive in the league and had a good chance of returning to the playoffs even with several starting places up for grabs in the preseason.
The hopes of returning to the postseason took a huge blow before the first regular season game had even taken place.  Late in August it was discovered that Joe Montana had an elbow injury and after a few days of fans and media second-guessing each other, Montana was placed on injured reserve.  He stayed there for the entire 1991 season.

Enter Steve Young.  The former BYU star had sat behind Montana on the depth chart since being traded to San Francisco from the Buccaneers in 1987.  Since then, Young had started on numerous occasions when the ageing Montana was injured, but he had never had the prospect of starting for an entire season before.
With so much of the veteran leadership on the team gone, plus the awkward task of adjusting to a completely different style of player behind center, the 49ers were understandably quite erratic in the beginning of the season.  By the time the team lined up in Atlanta for a week 10 divisional game against the Falcons, the 49ers had a 4-4 record but were looking like they had turned a corner after impressive wins against the Lions and Eagles in the two previous weeks.  However, fate dealt another blow to the team at Fulton County Stadium, when Steve Young suffered a knee injury that could have possibly meant him missing the rest of the season.  The team were now down to third-string quarterback Steve Bono, who guided the team for the next several weeks.
The 49ers lost in Atlanta and in the following week against the Saints, but got back on track with three straight wins to bring them to 7-6 for the week 15 game against Seattle.

(SteveBonoCard n.d.)


The 1991 Seahawks were three years removed from winning the AFC West division, but since then they had failed to finish higher than fourth whilst seeing their win-loss record hover around .500.  By the time they welcomed the 49ers into the Kingdome, the Seahawks had accrued 6 wins and seven losses.


The game

Establishing a strong running game early, Seattle put their visitors on the back foot with a first quarter score when running back James Jones bustled in from a yard out.  Seattle kicker John Kasay missed the extra point however, so the Seahawks were ahead by six points.

Starting once again for the injured Steve Young was third-string 49ers quarterback Steve Bono.  San Francisco had struggled to run the ball all season and this trend continued against Seattle, meaning it was even more important for Bono to settle into the game if the team were going to be in with a chance of winning.  Bono began to find a rhythm in the second quarter after struggling against a stingy Seattle secondary at the start of the game.  After moving the ball deep into the Seattle red zone, Bono completed a pass to backup running back Harry Sydney for a 3-yard touchdown.  Cofer kicked the extra point and the 49ers were in the lead, 7-6.

The lead didn’t remain static for long however, as the Seahawks came back with a 27-yard field goal after a promising drive fizzled out just shy of the goal line.  Seattle were back in front but with seconds to go before halftime, Steve Bono was able to gain enough yardage for a speculative Mike Cofer 50-yard field goal attempt.  The kick went up and squeaked through the uprights as time expired and so the visiting team held a 1-point lead going into the locker room.  San Francisco 10, Seattle 9.

After the break the 49ers continued to see success through the air but the ground game continued to be stifled by the Seattle defense.  Bono threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Jerry Rice from 9-yards out mid-way through the third quarter to extend the 49ers lead.  The visitors were now in front by a score of 17-9.
Sensing that the game was on the line, Seattle responded with their best drive of the game.  Continuing to be thwarted by the 49ers secondary, the Seahawks utilised running back James Jones and fullback John Williams to steadily pound the ball upfield.  Quarterback Dave Krieg, who had found little success all game through the air, joined in on the rushing attack by reeling off a couple of runs of his own as the home side managed to manoeuvre the ball all the way to the San Francisco 5-yard line.  From there the veteran fullback Williams rumbled through the goal-line defense to score.  The Seahawks were now right back in the game and only a single point behind their opponents.

Both teams then began to feel the pressure, each losing the ball on their next possessions.  In total seven turnovers would occur during the game, with the 49ers suffering five of them.
On their way to 150 total rushing yards in the game, the Seahawks moved to within field goal range in the fourth quarter and kicker John Kasey found his target firstly from 25 yards out to put the home side ahead for the first time, then again from 38 yards.  Seattle were now winning 22-17.

Aside from an early score the 49ers had struggled offensively in the second half, accumulating nothing more than interceptions and fumbles as they watched the Seahawks clamber into the lead and extend said lead with field goals.  With the game on the line and with interceptions fresh in his memory, how would Steve Bono react?
He may well have been only the third option at quarterback for the 49ers, but like his peers Steve Bono was well coached and took to his task of giving his side a chance at an unlikely win.
With the rushing game still faltering, Bono lent upon John Taylor and Jerry Rice for essential catches as the team made its way downfield with the game clock ticking ever closer to the final whistle.
Fifteen yards from glory and with time ebbing away, Bono dropped back from center and lobbed a pass up for John Taylor.  The 49ers receiver, renowned for having a safe pair of hands, did not disappoint and came down with the touchdown catch!  After the extra point, the 49ers were now back in the lead by 24 points to 22, with just over a minute left to play in the fourth quarter.
It was now time for the defense to stand stoutly and prevent the ‘Hawks from getting to within field-goal range and they succeeded!
The visitors had clawed back from a difficult second half performance to win away from home against a scrappy opponent.  Surviving three lost fumbles, two interceptions and a surging home team in front of a raucous crowd, the 49ers had managed to compose themselves just in time to pull a come-from-behind win that put them at 8-6 for the season.

Steve Bono threw for 280 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  His main target that afternoon was John Taylor, who scored the game-winning touchdown on his way to a 113 yard day.  Jerry Rice finished with 67 yards and a touchdown.

The 49ers went on to post a respectable 10-6 record, but sadly it was only good enough for third place in the NFC West, meaning that they failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Considering the drastic cull of the roster that happened at the start of the campaign, plus losing Joe Montana for the entire season and then Steve Young for a significant amount, the 1991 season should be looked upon as a successful one, even though the team failed to reach the playoffs.


References
SteveBonoCard, n.d. photograph, viewed 12 December 2014, < http://www.sfweekly.com/imager/todays-birthday-steve-bono-former-4/b/big/2656139/7164/SteveBonoCard.jpg >

End-game nears for Harbaugh as Niners suffer season-ending defeat in Oakland

It was a game the San Francisco 49ers could not afford to drop following the Week 13 loss to the division rival Seattle Seahawks. The Niners went into the game with their cross-bay foes the Oakalnd Raiders knowing only a win would do, but produced a listless performance all too indicative of the way this season has gone.

Defensively the Niners were diced up by the Raiders' rookie quarterback Derek Carr - who to his credit produced his best performance of the year - while the offense delivered yet another dismal offering that served as another indictment of under-fire offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman.

I normally break game reviews into the good, the bad and occasionally the ugly. However, there is no point doing that this time around as there was very little good and a heck of a lot of bad in a 24-13 defeat that was down right ugly throughout.

The frustrating thing is that what little good came from this came courtesy of the two most criminally under-used players on the 49er offense, running back Frank Gore and his lead blocker and full back Bruce Miller.

Miller scored the only San Francisco touchdown of the game, which at the time put the Niners up 7-3, however, he featured on only 16 snaps, a mere 27 percent of the offensive plays. 

Not using Miller has proven to be a formula for failure throughout the campaign, all of the 49ers' seven wins have come when he has been used on 40 percent or more, they are now 0-6 when he has not.

Meanwhile, Gore averaged 5.3 yards per carry but was given just 12 carries. The 49ers' all-time leading rusher may be 31, but he remains their best offensive threat and his absence from the gameplan is absolutely mystifying, particularly when you consider the skills he had in catching the ball out of the backfield.

Miller's touchdown should have been an indicator as to how to get Kaepernick going again. Gore, Miller and backup tailback Carlos Hyde can all catch the ball out of the backfield and hurt defenses underneath.

The Raiders executed a similar gameplan to perfection as Carr utilised dinks and dunks to work his way down the field, just as Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on Thanksgiving. As the great saying goes, you can't go broke taking a profit. 

But instead Kaepernick, who looked short on confidence and frustrated throughout, tried to force throws into holes that were not there, throwing two interceptions in another game that served as an example of his all too apparent regression.

All too often this season, the offense has been rescued by the defense. On this occasion, though, that was not the case.

The Niners kept the Oakland run game quiet but were never able to consistently pressure Carr, sacking the first-year player just once and giving him the time to pick apart an already wafer thin secondary that was further depleted when Chris Culliver went down with an injury, although it does not appear to be serious.

Injuries appear to finally catching up with a fine defense but Vic Fangio's unit cannot take the blame for the consistent failings of an offensive group that should be much, much better.

That blame falls on an offensive co-ordinator that has never been able to settle on a consistent gameplan and play to the team's strengths, it also falls on a head coach in Jim Harbaugh whose reputation as a man skilled at transforming quarterbacks is quickly slipping away and has looked disinterested for much of the season.

Rumours of Harbaugh's departure will only intensify now the Niners' season is all but over and it is difficult to envision a scenario in which he remains San Francisco. It is pretty clear that the Harbaugh era is coming to an end. The 49ers now have a decision to make and, if this franchise wants to be a championship contender, they have to get it right.

Week 14 Preview: San Francisco 49ers @ Oakland Raiders

The San Francisco 49ers face the Oakland Raiders on the wrong side of the Bay on Sunday. Here we break down the key points of this crucial matchup.

Recent Form

The Niners go into Oakland on the back of an embarrassing 19-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks that saw them drop to 7-5 and ended a three-game winning run.

San Francisco's playoff destiny is now not in their own hands and Jim Harbaugh's men will look hope that they can finally get things going on offense and get back to winning ways. The 49ers will also be looking for the Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals to suffer defeats against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs to put them a game back in the NFC West race.

Meanwhile, the Raiders come into this one on the back of a 52-0 shellacking at the hands of the St Louis Rams. That dreadful defeat dropped Oakland to 1-11 and the hosts, led by rookie quarterback Derek Carr, will be playing for little more than Bay Area pride at the O.Co Coliseum.

Injuries

Right tackle Anthony Davis has again been ruled out for the 49ers as he is still experiencing symptoms of the concussion he sustained in the win over the New York Giants in Week 11.

Tight end Vance McDonald (back) and nose tackle Glenn Dorsey (forearm) are again unavailable, while cornerback Tramaine Brock, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and special teams ace Bubba Ventrone are all inactive.

Jonathan Martin will fill in for Davis and a strong game is sure to be required from the former Miami Dolphin versus a decent Oakland defense.

Brock's absence will see Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox serve as starting corners again with Dontae Johnson likely operating in the slot. Quinton Patton takes Lloyd's spot on the gameday roster, with receiver and return man Bruce Ellington making his comeback from injury. 

The two major inactives for the Raiders are British-born tackle Menelik Watson and receiver Denarius Moore. Exciting running back Latavius Murray is active.

How, where and when?

The game kicks-off at 9.25pm (BST) at the Coliseum. It is not being broadcast on Sky Sports aside from on their feed of the NFL's RedZone channel. Therefore if you want to catch the Battle of The Bay then you will need a GamePass subscription or get yourself to the 49erFaithfulUK Facebook page for our gameday thread!

This week in 49ers history: Week 14, 1980

By 1980 the 49ers were beginning to show signs of life after a slump that had encompassed almost all of the 1980s.

The 1979 season provided more hope than the previous campaign due to the addition new head coach Bill Walsh.

Walsh set about implementing a more contemporary offense, although the Niners still lacked talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. As in 1979, the '79 team finished with just two wins, however, they displayed enough flashes on offfense to allow the fanbase with renewed hope going into a new decade.

San Francisco lost several of their offensive starters in the offseason, including running back OJ Simpson, who left following two lacklustre seasons after joining in one of the worst trades in 49er history.

Despite those losses, Walsh could plainly see that it was the teams defense that needed the most and attacked the draft with the approach of restocking that unit.

Tight end/running back Earl Cooper was selected with the Niners' first-round pick but a run on defenders followed. Eight of the 11 picks by the 49ers were spent on defensive players, with second-round choice Keena Turner going on to win multiple Super Bowl titles with San Francisco and then holding multiple off-the-field positions with the franchise after retirement.

The 1980 New Orleans Saints endured one of worst seasons in NFL history. By the time they travelled to Candlestick Park for the Week 14 matchup, the Saints had compiled an abysmal 0-13 record, firing head coach Dick Nolan after a Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.  

In Week 13 they had run the Minnesota Vikings very close but still eventually lost.  This was also the first season of the infamous 'Aints' attire, whereby some fans would attend games with paper bags over the heads in a visibly sarcastic homage to the wreck that was the 1980 Saints team.

By contrast, the 49ers went into the game at 5-8, still heading for a losing seasons but with more wins than their previous two campaigns put together and on the back of two straight wins. It seemed certain the Niners would make it three in a row against the league's worst team.

The Game

In what was to be the first of many surprises that afternoon, the Saints were the first ones to score when Archie Manning - the father of Peyton and Eli - was able to deceive the 49ers secondary with a pump fake before hitting a deep pass to receiver Ike Harris for a 33-yard touchdown.

Before the end of the first quarter things got even worse for the home side as Manning, rolling to his right to evade a somewhat disappointing 49er pass rush, lobbed the ball high up into the right corner of the end zone where tight end Henry Childs managed to catch the ball whilst having a flailing cornerback in front of him.  The 0-13 Saints were now up two scores.

Early into the second quarter and the misery continued for 49er fans.  Having driven the team down to the San Francisco one-yard line, Manning then handed the ball off to Jack Holmes who bundled the ball over the goal-line to make it an unbelievable 21-0 to the visiting team.  Half the home fans were silent in shock, the other half were vocally disgruntled and it was far from even being half-time.

After another fruitless offensive drive for the 49ers ended in a punt, New Orleans took over inside their own 20-yard line and were held to a quick three-and-out, forcing Russell Erxleben to kick it back to the hosts.

Erxleben unleashed a huge punt downfield and into the arms of return man Freddie Solomon, whose run back was almost immediately nullified after he ran into the back of a team-mate. However, the wide receiver bounced right and found space down the sideline, sprinting for a 57-yard score.

New Orleans refused to let the 49ers back in to the game, however, and continued to embarrass the home team, Holmes adding another rushing touchdown before a designed bootleg pass from Manning saw him fire a 41-yard bomb to Ike Harris to put the Saints up 35-7 at the break.

A disheartened 49er team trudged into the locker room, fully expecting an earbashing from Walsh that would have been fully deserved. Walsh, though, had other plans and said something along the lines of: "Dont embarrass yourselves, let's build something positive through to the end of the game and to build upon for next week."

Walsh's words released the pressure on his players and the third quarter began with a gutsy 49er drive that ended with quarterback Joe Montana sneaking in from the one-yard line. San Francisco was still a long way behind, but it was the first positive step that Walsh had been seeking.

The defense finally got into the game and forced the Saints to punt, putting the ball back in the hands of Montana. On the San Francisco 29-yard-line, Joe stepped back and immediately felt pressure from a blitzing New Orleans defense but hit receiver Dwight Clark - running a five-yard 'in' route from left to right - in stride with at least 10 yards between him and the nearest defender.

Clark did the rest, sprinting across midfield and down the left sideline for a spectacular 71-yard touchdown. With one quarter remaining the Saints still held a two-score lead, however, the momentum had swung dramatically in favour of the 49ers.

After another fruitless Saints possession, the 49er offense picked up where it had left off in the third quarter, and moved the ball down the field with authority.  Running back Lenvil Elliott was having a career day, finishing the game with 125 rushing yards and 43 receiving yards, and it was in the fourth quarter where he had the most success.

Elliot helped move the ball down to the New Orleans 14-yard line. From there, Montana stepped back and waas met almost immediately by Saints linebacker Ken Bordelon, who went straight through untouched into the 49er backfield. Joe made just enough of an adjustment to the pressure to find Solomon in the shallow midfield area. Solomon, confident after his punt return heroics earlier, did only as he could do, shaking one tackler and making another one miss, before going in for the third unanswered 49ers touchdown of the second half. After Ray Wersching hit the extra point, the 49ers trailed by just seven with plenty of time left.

The Saints were now in complete disarray.  Still leading the game, they had allowed their opponents to come all the way back from certain defeat and the 49ers were now knocking on the New Orleans door. Yet again the Saints offense sputtered and they were forced to kick the ball away to an awaiting Solomon.

Mixing up passing and rushing plays, the 49ers cut apart the beleaguered and tiring Saints defense once again, only for the visitors' last gasp efforts to stall the 49ers on the Saints' seven-yard line with the drive stuck on third down and five with the game on the line. After gaining so many yards during the game, Elliot had his time to shine.  Receiving the hand-off from Montana, the tailback broke to the left hand side of the line and, following crushing blocks from Randy Cross and Keith Fahnhorst, skipped in untouched for the score with the resulting extra point tying the game up.

Overtime loomed, where both teams were at the mercy of sudden death rules. The 49ers manoeuvred down to the Saints 35-yard line and on first down backup running back Don Woods, who came to the 49ers mid-season from the Chargers, broke off a 16-yard rush before being pushed out of bounds at the 19-yard line.

Reliable Wersching then came on with the kicking unit and fired the ball straight up the middle, securing a dramatic victory.
 

The 49ers had come back from a 28-point deficit to win the game 38-35, a fightback that still stands as the largest in the NFL regular season history. The two teams combined for 950 yards of total offense, still well short of the league record, set in 1950 when the LA Rams and the New York Yanks amassed 1,133 yards.

San Francisco would finish the 1980 season with a 6-10 record before famously going on to achieve their greatest success a year later when they won Super Bowl XVI.

New Orleans dusted themselves off from such a demoralising loss and finally claimed the their first win in the following week, beating the New York Jets 21-20 after a fourth quarter comeback of their own.

Here is a great NFL Films production from 2013 talking to the players from this famous game. The usual participants are there (Joe, Dwight etc) but it also has a rare interview with Ray Wersching. It is worth the watch just for that!

Secondary School: Looking at the 49ers cornerback performance during 2014 and beyond

The NFL is becoming increasingly dominated by offenses that favour throwing the ball ahead of running it with each year that passes (no pun intended). This is a widely accepted phenomenon that has only been accelerated by the emergence of more pro-style offenses within the college game, which produces the next generation of elite NFL quarterbacks and receivers.

In order to combat the growth and the evolution of the passing game, NFL secondaries are coming under ever increasing scrutiny. Cornerback tangibles, talents and skills are being analysed and honed to the nth degree as NFL teams look to stem the flow of the passing game.

With all of this in mind let's take a look at how the 49ers cornerbacks are performing in 2014 and assess what the future holds for this group of players.

Entering the 2014 season the cornerback position was seen as an area of weakness for the 49ers, particularly after Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers departed in the offseason, losses that San Francisco addressed through the elevation of the remaining corners and the roster and the addition of players through the draft.

Chris Culliver returned from injury to claim one starting spot and Tramaine Brock kept the other having won the job midway through a breakout 2013 season for which he was rewarded with a new four-year contract in November.

Perrish Cox was retained on a one-year contract and both Jimmie Ward and Dontae Johnson were added through the draft. Chris Cook arrived on a one-year deal following a disappointing spell with the Minnesota Vikings, while Eric Wright was brought back before he made the decision to retire.

Prior to the season concerns were raised over the consistency of this group of cornerbacks. Culliver had shown flashes of dominance in his career, but also committed a number of mistakes with his natural aggression sometimes getting the better of him as he sought out big hits and big plays only to be burned by opposing, more experienced players. 

However, the coaching staff had seen enough of the young man to believe that the weaknesses could be coached out of him and that he could become a top tier player worthy of starting for the team.  

Culliver was a mid-round draft but Brock's path to becoming a starter with the 49ers was much more complicated. After going undrafted in 2010, Brock bounced around the active roster and the practice squad before seeing his first consistent playing time in 2011.

Brock earned further experience in 2012 before exploding in 2013, a season in which he recorded five interceptions - with one returned for a touchdown - and made the all-important pass deflection that was caught by Navorro Bowman and returned 89 yards for a touchdown in the final ever game at Candlestick Park.

The 26-year-old earned his starting job by doggedly working his way from undrafted rookie, to special teams stalwart, to stand out player in 2013. Still relatively young but with four years of valuable experience, the 49ers signed Brock to a four-year, $13million in November and hopes were high that he would continue his rise and become the high calibre corner that the Niners desired.

So, how are both starting cornerbacks faring so far in 2014?  

Culliver is having a very solid season, although his big-play ability has not really shone through as much as it has in the past. This may not be a bad thing, though, as it probably also means that he is giving up fewer deep plays.

The 655 plays Culliver has seen this season are the most of any 49er cornerback. He is owner of the best Pro Football Focus pass coverage on the team, with an impressive score of 5.8.  The next highest grade is Dontae Johnson's 2.0 mark, however, the rookie has had nowhere near as much playing time, featuring on 233 defensive snaps.

Culliver is allowing just over 56 percent of the balls thrown his way to be caught by opposing receivers. This isn't in the range of the elite cornerbacks in the league, but it is by no means the worst total from a starting corner. 

In comparison, the top 10 corner with the lowest catch percentage rating is Vontae Davis with 45 percent. Desmond Trufant from the Atlanta Falcons is the No. 6 overall cornerback CB in the league and has given up catches on 58.6 percent of the passes thrown in his direction. Therefore it is clear that Culliver is actually performing pretty well indeed in this statistic.

Culliver's yards-per-catch average of 12.3 yards is also very respectable, as is the rating of quarterbacks when throwing towards him, which stands at 80.2.  

The best corners in the league have QB rating numbers between 40 and 70, although the Kansas City Chief's Sean Smith - ranked at No. 7 in the league - has a QBR of 83.7.

Former South Carolina Gamecock Culliver has given up three touchdowns in 13 games but has also come away with 2 interceptions.

All in all Culliver is playing extremely well and much better than most pundits give him credit for. PFF has him ranked as the No. 15 corner in the league, tied for that position with Antonio Cromartie of the Arizona Cardinals.

Tramaine Brock has been unable to carry his momentum from the 2013 season in 2014 due to turf toe injury that he sustained in the Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys that has blighted his entire campaign and led to him only playing a minuscule 84 snaps in 13 games.  

His statistics are unsurprisingly poor but to be fair to Brock this is partly because he has forced back too early for the Week 7 game with the Denver Broncos in which he gave up two touchdowns, proving once and for all that playing with turf toe against Peyton Manning is never a good idea.

Stepping into the void left by Brock has been Cox. The former Bronco bounced between San Francisco and the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 but, after returning to the Niners and performing strongly in the playoffs, was re-signed to a one-year deal for 2014 and was expected to be a backup to Brock and Culliver.

Fate had other ideas, though, and to his credit Cox has proven himself to be a more than capable deputy. He has garnered some attention from the local media following a five-game period that saw him snag three interceptions. Statistically, however, his performance has been inferior to that of Culliver.

Although Cox has played more snaps (766) and registered more tackles that Culliver (40 compared to 35), Perrish is allowing more yards per catch (14.5) and his catch percentage figure of 58.6 is also higher than Culliver's.

Overall, PFF awards Cox a grade of just 0.1 for pass coverage, which is well below the 5.8 grade given to Culliver. 

Cox may have the better QBR rating of 73.2, yet the weekly numbers show that he has been hugely inconsistent. For example, in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cox earned a 12.8 QBR rating after allowing just 25 percent of the passes thrown his way to be caught by Philly.  

Contrast that to Week 10 against the Saints, whose quarterback Drew Brees completed almost 82 percent of passes thrown in the direction of Cox, including one for a touchdown, leading to a QBR of 127.7.

There is also a rookie on the squad that is showing a lot of potential for the future. Although his snap count is quite low compared to the main starters, when he is on the field, he is producing. He is only allowing 42 percent of passes in his direction to be caught, and at a minute average of 8.7 yards per catch.

Opposing quarterbacks are achieving a tiny QBR of just 65.2 against the first year player. Even though he is not starting, he is already good enough to be rated as the No. 25 corner in the league. If you upscale his statistics to a snap count of a starter, he would be in the top two or three cornerbacks in the NFL.

Who is this promising talent? It is 2014 fourth-round pick Dontae Johnson.

The 6'2" and 200-pound corner has lined up at both positions on the outside in addition to operating as the primary slot man since Ward was sent to injured reserve. Johnson is doing a remarkable job in his first year and if he can continue this, he has a great shot at being an elite cornerback in the near future.

Johnson is not just performing well, but he has outperformed fellow rookie and first-round pick Ward, who allowed four touchdowns, a 72 percent catch completion rate and a whopping QBR of 134.3 before his season was brought to an end with his pass coverage grade standing at -3.1.

In comparison, over a similar number of snaps, Dontae Johnson's grade is 1.9.

Ward has had to battle injuries all season while adapting to the NFL, which could explain a lot of the issues seen in his play. Firstly, Ward missed Week 7 of the season with a quadriceps injury.  He was then placed on IR on November 15 with a suspected fractured foot. Who knows how long the foot was bothering him? Hopefully he recovers well going into 2015 and we can see the best of him next year.

The final cornerback on the roster who has seen playing time is Chris Cook. The former Viking has been mainly used on special teams, although he has seen limited usage on passing plays too. He has displayed some promise but the 48 snaps in which he has featured is to low of a number to make a proper judgement. Cook was placed on IR on October 25 due to a hamstring injury;

So how can we sum up the cornerback play of the 49ers this season?  Taking into account all of the depth chart changes since 2013 and the plethora of injuries, I believe that the group of players have played well. Sure, we have seen some games where the cornerbacks have been exposed, but in general they have more than held up against stiff opposition.

Looking ahead at the 2015 season, who can we expect to see lining up in the red and gold?  This is where the cornerback situation becomes a concern.

Tramaine Brock is the only experienced player who is signed through next season, with rookies Ward and Johnson being the other players who are contracted long term.

Current starting duo Cox and Culliver are both out of contract at the end of this season. Will general manager Trent Baalke be looking to secure their services on a long-term basis? Or will he try to address the cornerback shortage through the draft?  

I doubt we will be a player in the annual free agent bidding wars, as historically Baalke has shown he is not one to overpay for proven talent unless absolutely necessary.

I think Culliver is playing at a high enough level to warrant him being brought back. After several off-the-field issues his mind appears to be focused fully on football. I think the unwanted 'extra curricular activity' has been the main reason why we have not seen Baalke resign Culliver until now, but that may change now that he has hopefully turned a corner.

Choosing to bring Cox back may be more of a difficult decision. He has played well and has created some very big plays this season, but after analysing his performances I'm undecided as to whether or not he should return on a multi-year contract, or if the 49ers should look to use a high-end draft pick on someone who can start straight away and perhaps develop into the elite cornerback that the team has lacked for so long.  

That being said, if Dontae Johnson continues to make the most of his chances this season, he may well get a shot at a starting role next year.

Bringing Chris Cook back on a veteran minimum may be advantageous too, if only to further assess his play in the hopes that his talent manifests itself onto the field of play.

The cornerback position remains one of intrigue for the 49ers and it will be interesting to see how they address that spot come the offseason.

Stay tuned 49er Faithful….