1. San Franscisco 49ers
It was by all accounts one of the most
unusual sights of the 49ers' training camp. During an afternoon
workout, new coach Steve
Mariucci had his quarterbacks take snaps, drop into the pocket
and then practice running for their lives. With
Mariucci
providing the defensive pressure, the players rehearsed, one by
one, sprinting for the safety of the sidelines or simply
throwing the ball away. Once, as he closed in on starter
Steve Young, Mariucci hollered for him to get rid of the
ball, and when Young
obliged, the coach clapped his hands
enthusiastically. "There," Mariucci shouted, "now
we've got you for another
week."
While the drill was designed to help all
the quarterbacks, it was largely meant for
Young—who in July became the league's highest-paid
player ($45 million over six years). He must remain healthy
if
San Francisco is to return to the Super Bowl for the first time
since
'94.
That has proved to be much easier said than done. Since the
35-year-old Young was named MVP of the NFL and the Super
Bowl three years ago, he has missed
all or parts of 18 games. During that time the 49ers lost
their stranglehold on the
NFC West, a division they had won nine of the past 10 years
heading into '96. The upstart Panthers have not only
beaten the 49ers in three of the team's first four
meetings, but they also won the
division last season. Meanwhile, Young
endured
his most trying year as a starter in San
Francisco, sustaining two concussions
as well as injuries to his ribs and groin. Consequently,
Jerry Rice averaged a
career-low 11.6 yards per catch. "We can't get done
what we need to get done on this team without Steve
Young," says 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo
Jr.
That being the case, the club would have been wise to take
some of the money it gave Young (not to mention some of the
$24 million that went to extend defensive tackle Bryant
Young's contract) and use it to upgrade a line that was
shaky at best in '96.
In language that the real estate tycoon DeBartolo would
understand, San Francisco purchased a $45 million home and
is protecting it with a toy
poodle.
Left tackle Harris Barton, who sat out three games last
year, will miss the first four to six weeks of this season
with a sprained left knee. He'll be replaced by third-year
veteran Tim Hanshaw, who was released twice by the 49ers
last year and whose
NFL experience amounts to one kneel-down play at the end of a
game last season. The right tackle will be Kirk Scrafford,
who was limited to one start last year because of a foot
injury. Twelve-year veteran Ray Brown returns at left
guard, and San Francisco
signed free agent Kevin Gogan, 32, formerly of the Raiders,
to play right guard. Center Chris Dalman will miss at least
the first three weeks after spraining his left knee. To
replace him the team re-signed Jesse Sapolu, a
15-year veteran who had surgery to repair a valve in his heart
in the off-season and was
released by the club in
February.
"The line truly is key to the team," says Young,
who not surprisingly is being
encouraged to take more three- and five-step drops. "I
was hoping the line would be a real cohesive group, and now
we're having to fill holes because of
injuries."
Lacking a marquee back since the
departure of Ricky Watters after the '94 season, San Francisco
signed free agent Garrison Hearst, who ran for 847 yards
last year with the Bengals. "This may be sacrilegious,
but Hearst may be the best back we've ever
had here," says offensive line coach
Bobb McKittrick, who has been with the team since
'79.
That's good news for Young, who could use a little
help.—David Fleming
SCHEDULE
SKINNY
The first eight games are against teams that were a
combined 42-86 in 1996. The only
winning team that San Francisco faces in that span is
Carolina, in a
Monday-nighter on Sept. 29 in Charlotte. If the 49ers can beat the
Panthers for the first time in four
meetings, they could be undefeated when they host the
Cowboys on Nov.
2.
STRENGTH OF
SCHEDULE
NFL rank: 28 (tie)
Opponents' 1996 winning
percentage: .469
Games against playoff
teams: 6
Next team
|
