San Francisco 49ers 2009 Preview: Singletary Changing Team For the Better

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

After generating a significant amount of hype over the past few years, the 49ers will enter 2009 with no expectations on the board. Division rival Arizona went to the Super Bowl, while many expect a rebound from long-time division champion Seattle. To me, this makes the 49ers a dangerous team.

The first part of 2008 was a disaster. After four straight losses, which dropped the team to a 2-5 record, Mike Nolan was fired and replaced by Mike Singletary. After another loss left them heading into the bye week 2-6, San Francisco benched quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and replaced him with Shaun Hill. In that Week 10 game, the 49ers jumped out to a quick lead, but couldn't hang on and fell to 2-7. The team then rallied to win five of their final seven games behind Hill and Singletary, finishing the season with a 7-9 record. Can they build upon that late-season success?

Offense: Soon after the season closed, the 49ers dumped offensive "genius" Mike Martz. After a bit of a search, the team signed Jimmy Raye to run the offense -- expect to see he and Singletary favor a power running game. This bodes well for the prospects of the offense, as running back Frank Gore is easily the team's best offensive weapon. Gore should carry the ball 20 times a game, with rookie Glen Coffee sprinkled in a few times a game. This should alleviate the pressure on the passing game. Hill defeated Alex Smith in a preseason battle to become the starting QB. What you may not be aware of is the fact that Hill is 7-3 as a starting QB, and he's proven himself more than capable of running an offense. Even with Michael Crabtree's absence, the team has a very good vertical weapon in Josh Morgan to pair with veteran Isaac Bruce. Don't underrate the shrewd signing of tackle Tony Pashos, who was recently cut by the Jaguars. Pashos could step in and start on the right side, which would theoretically improve the team's run blocking. Heat Index: 6


Defense: The defensive side of the ball was solid last year. They ranked in the top half of the NFL at allowing yards, and while their 23.8 points/game average isn't good by any means, it was the best mark for the sorry bunch of defenses that reside in the NFC West. The marquee player on the unit is linebacker Patrick Willis, a third year player who has quickly become one of the elites at the position. While Takeo Spikes makes for a great partner in the middle, the 49ers will need Manny Lawson to finally take a step forward if they are to compete. Nate Clements is solid as the top cornerback, while the trio of Dre Bly, Shawntae Spencer, and Tarell Brown gives the team depth at the position. Weak play at safety could also hold the performance of the secondary back. Overall, this is a competent unit yet again, but it's going to take a few players stepping up at each level of the defense for this group to be considered a strength. Heat Index: 5

Special Teams: Joe Nedney returns with an extension in hand for his fifth season in San Francisco. He's been consistently great, connecting on 88% of his field goal tries in 2008. Punter Andy Lee regressed after a Pro Bowl season in 2007, and if he wants a new contract, he'll need to be at the top of his game this year. Allen Rossum will again return kickoffs and punts. He had the best season of his career last year, averaging 26.8 yards per kick return (3.5 yards better than his career average) and 14.9 yards per punt (3.8 yards better than his career average). If Lee rebounds, this trio could give the 49ers one of the league's best group of specialists. Heat Index: 8

Coaching: Now here's where it gets dicey. Singletary did an awesome job as the interim coach, and it looks like he's instilling a new attitude in the locker room and on the practice field. The switch from Nolan's hybrid defense to a conventional 3-4 by defensive coordinator Greg Manusky led to a huge improvement. With defense being Singletary's specialty, it wouldn't be crazy to see the 49ers defense approach the top 10 this year. Raye certainly has experience on his side, as this will be the seventh team to employ him as offensive coordinator. Heat Index: 6

Intangibles: I'll be very interested to see Michael Crabtree's effect on the locker room, if/when he signs. Coach Singletary already proved he's a no-nonsense kind of guy in his dealings with tight end Vernon Davis. An injury to free agent signee Brandon Jones leaves the 49ers shallow at wide receiver, so the team will need to stay healthy at that position early this year. After several seasons of hype, the lack of excitement over this group could be just what they need to finally produce. Heat Index: 5

Total Heat Index: 30/50 Don't just brush off the team's 5-1 run at the end of 2008. Mike Singletary has shown he can be a winning head coach, and he was given the opportunity this year to build the team on his terms. In what has been the weakest division in football for much of this past decade, the 49ers have a shot at the playoffs, especially if the Cardinals suffer the customary year-after decline the losing Super Bowl team usually endures.