San Francisco 49er’s building the foundation through tough season
This winless 2017 San Francisco 49ers are a much better team than the 2016 team even though they are currently staring at an 0-5 record there is still a plenty to be seen.
Entering this 2017 season this team got a complete you haul from the front office and down. Both general manager and head coach position have been replace, and in comparison with the 2017 player’s roster contains only about 10 players from 2016 team roster. However with this total reconstructive roster the 49ers are starting make people tune in more on Sundays.
Last season the 49ers seemed defenseless allowing the most points against in the National Football League (NFL). While having an incompetent offense that always had hassle of getting a first down let alone scoring a touchdown. Those 2016 49ers finished an embarrassing season with a 2-14 record and a point differential of negative 171 points.
Although these 2017 49ers are currently winless, but the quality of the games are more fulfilling than last years. These winless 49ers only have lost their five games by an average of 6.2 points. In comparison in their first five loss last season with an average of 17.5 points.
The quality of their game is improving starting with their ability to compete in games and making them close. Besides their season opener the 49ers are only a handful of plays of completely turning the tables. In the second game against the Seattle Seahawks at the end of a defensive struggle they allowed the winning touchdown in the final minutes by Seattle. The third game against the Los Angeles was a wild Thursday night special game that gave the fans a bang for their buck with an offense display. The 49ers almost completed an incredible comeback, but fell two points short from sending the game to overtime do to a missed extra point from the previous touchdown drive which lead to a failed two point conversion in an effort to tie the game. Then they lost in back to back games in overtime to Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts on scoring in closing minutes of the period. If they had one or two different plays that went 49ers’ way this would be completely different season.
It is important to see that this season is not a lost just because they are not winning. However this team has feel that they are on the crust of doing something possibly great.
Back in 1979 the 49ers had complete makeover with the new ownership Eddie DeBartolo Jr., new Head Coach Bill Walsh, and company brought a new era football to the Bay Area. The year before in 1978 they were last in the league in total offense and set an NFL record for most turnovers by committing 63 of them. Over the next couple of year they built up a new team by eventually getting a speedy defense and a revolutionary offense (later known as the famous West Coast Offense).
In 1979 the San Francisco’s offense started to put points on the board and fans in the stand. They improve their total offense to rank number 16 in the NFL, and that system turn the team around game by game as they started to improve as team. By providing more quality games they reshaped the culture of the San Francisco 49ers. Even though they did not have a winning season until their third year together, but you felt that wave of change.
Former 49er’s center Randy Cross compare between the two teams from 1978 and 1979 to the Mercury News “That 1978 team might have been one of the worst NFL teams ever,” Cross said. “I’d put that team up against any other bad team. But the 1979 team might have been one of the best 2-14 teams ever.”
The fans sense that as well back in December 1979 after the team won their second game of the season they stormed the field and torn down the goal post in celebration as if they have won. They were celebrating for something that was getting ready to come. Over the next decade the 49ers would go on to win four Super Bowl Championships.
This year’s 49er’s are not looking like team ready to make a run for a championship. However you feel this shift in change, as if they are on the verge of accomplish something great. They may be winless at this point after five games in the season, but they look nothing like last year’s 2- 14 team. No matter how frustrating and disappointing it is to watch, but they are providing us competitive football games again . Have faith in them, because history has always have a poetic way of repeating itself.