2007 Offensive Coordinator / Fantasy Football Preview - San Francisco 49ers

Mike Nolan - 3rd season as head coach
Jim Hostler - 1st season as offensive coordinator, 3rd with team

Background
Hostler is a former small college cornerback who went on to coach at his alma mater for nine seasons before moving over to the NFL in 2000 to become KC’s offensive quality control coach.

After a year with the Chiefs, Hostler spent two seasons with the Saints, under Jim Haslett’s regime, working as their quality control coach and as an assistant to the wide receivers. He then spent 2003 with the Jets, under Herm Edwards, as their QB coach and again in 2004 as the Jets’ WR coach.

Now in his third season with Mike Nolan and the 49ers, Hostler has been working as the QB coach for Alex Smith since the three started work with the team in 2005.

One of the more interesting notes about Hostler is the preparation he has done over the last two years for this opportunity.

Here’s Nolan, as quoted in Hostler’s bio:

“As I interviewed Jim, I was very impressed that he had been creating his own game plans each week the last few years,” Nolan said. “He brought out the game plans that he had been putting together for every game. I never saw them, because all I wanted to see the last two years was our actual coordinator’s game plan, but Jim brought his to me.”

Hostler also has a strong work relationship with the team’s new QB coach, Frank Cignetti. Hostler and Cignetti were at IUP together and also worked with the Saints at the same time. Cignetti was brought in to coach the QBs after spending 2006 with John Bunting at UNC as the Tar Heels’ offensive coordinator.

Philosophy
Kevin Lynch, of the San Francisco Chronicle ran an excellent overview of how the 49ers offense has changed over the last two seasons and how it is taking shape under Hostler’s leadership.

Smith said his rookie season (2005) under now-Packers coach Mike McCarthy was about a rigid passing game based on progressions and short quarterback drops.

“We weren’t throwing the ball downfield; defenses were on top of us,” Smith said Wednesday after the team’s second-to-last practice. “It was like we were the passive ones and (the defenses) were the aggressors.”

Then came Norv Turner, and the offense changed dramatically. “It was the opposite,” Smith said. “We were taking seven-step drops, throwing the ball downfield.”

That offense performed relatively well in the middle of the field on first- and second-down because of the threat of the run. But when the 49ers got inside the opponents’ 20 or needed a third-down conversion, they floundered.

They finished 26th in third-down efficiency and 29th in red-zone production.

So this season, Hostler is bringing in elements of both offenses Smith has been a part of. With third downs and red zone execution an obvious point of emphasis, the team is trying out new formations (eg, empty backfields) and other innovative ways to get the ball out of Smith’s hands quickly.

But make no mistake, this 49ers team is about playing good defense and running the football.

And we can talk about Frank Gore all we want, but this is one of the best offensive lines in the game today. They are a drive blocking unit with a good mix of veteran and young talent.

According to Football Outsiders’ OL stats, SF was second in the league last season in percentage of 10+ yard runs (26%, behind only SD). That success also translated into the third best average yards per rush and the sixth best average rush yards per game in the NFL last season. But the total offense ranked 26th in yards per game, mostly because their passing game was too one-dimmensionally bad. Too many deep drops, not enough reliable receiving options.

George Warhop is entering his third season as Mike Nolan’s offensive line coach. Warhop has 10 years experience specifically working with offensive lines at the NFL level.

Players
The first 49er taken in fantasy drafts will be Gore. But considering how important this OL is to his success, and given his history of injuries at UM, whomever ends up as Gore’s backup with be a valuable pickup as well.

Michael Robinson, the former Penn State QB who plays the game with the toughness of a LB, is the most talented of the backups. But I doubt he’s learned enough about the position to be counted on full time if Gore were to experience any significant injury.

I like Maurice Hicks, but he’s more of a change of pace back. At 5-11, 196 he and Robinson (6-1, 218) would form a solid duo in the absence of Gore; with Robinson seeing the majority of the TDs.

In the passing game, the 49ers will certainly use TE phenom Vernon Davis more in their search to improve on third downs and in the red zone. Davis himself said recently on the NFL Network that he is much more prepared to make an impace this season than he was this time last year.

49er fans should also be excited about the offseason signing of Darrell Jackson. He and Arnaz Battle finally give the team two reliable options out wide. Neither is really a #1 receiver, but both are smart, elusive players who can contribute in this run-oriented offense.