Will San Francisco 49ers need to revert to run-heavy offense?

By Brian Spaen | Mar 28, 2015

Colin Kaepernick regressed as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback last season. When different responsibilities were placed on him when the offense transitioned, it was anything but smooth. However, things have gone great with Kurt Warner helping out the quarterback. Will the team have to rely on their new running attack to be successful?

For nearly the past three months, Kaepernick has been working with various receivers, like rookie star Odell Beckham, Jr., under the watch of Warner and quarterbacks coach Dennis Giles in Phoenix, Arizona. Kaepernick is a gunslinger with great deep range and we’ve all seen his legs destroy opponents on the postseason, but the weaknesses flared up constantly when being forced to be a pocket passer. He was locked on too much to Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree, who were targeted 238 times in 487 total team passes (Kaepernick had 478 of them).

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Things had to change if Kaepernick wanted to win over critics and fans that have didn’t believe he could be the next successful quarterback. He’s come incredibly close, but some better touch on some key throws in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearances could have been the difference to getting the 49ers their first trophy since 1994.

While the strength behind throws may not be the same, a report from USA Today explains how Kaepernick has been better at positioning himself.

"Warner and Giles have gotten Kaepernick to sink his hips to lower his narrow, upright throwing posture. They’ve also helped him re-set his feet to help him cycle through reads more effectively and loft passes over linebackers to drop the ball into tighter windows."

Progress has been good, but Warner wonders how fast it will transition on the field. To fans, the season still feels incredibly far away in late March, but the offseason becomes much faster when a player has to improve.

"“Is 10 weeks enough time for you to change what you’ve been doing your entire career? And what does that look like when bullets are flying and people are attacking you?” Warner asked. “Have we gone far enough where that becomes the norm for Colin?”"

All of this is important because the 49ers will have to move on from Frank Gore. They don’t have a reliable, dominant running attack. Carlos Hyde was great picking up the slack, but now his expectations will be through the roof. Kendall Hunter is coming back from a season-ending injury. Reggie Bush is past his prime, but still expects to be an important contributor.

New head coach Jim Tomsula has hinted at a return to a smashmouth offense, and the team can certainly still thrive on that if Hyde, Hunter, and Bush all pan out. However, it will all be much easier if Kaepernick can be a real dual-threat with his legs and improved passing ability.

If so, the post-Jim Harbaugh era for the 49ers may not be so bad. The transition was handled poorly by Jim York and Trent Baalke, but perhaps the result won’t be so bad. It all depends on how Kaepernick uses his new knowledge from one of the best that’s played his position, and early reports look very promising.

Next: Michael Crabtree's best option? Re-sign with 49ers

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