MARTZ MADNESS GOES TO 49ERS?

With the Golden State Warriors already providing a fast break offense in the bay, rumors are circulating that the 49ers are following the same direction. Coach Mike Nolan has kept his on-field duties, only to lose his front office responsibilities. Changes haven’t stopped there. Offensive coordinator, Jim Hostler, was relieved of his duties and it is believed, Mike Martz will be his successor.

Martz is best known for his tenure in the late 90s/early 2000s, as Rams offensive coordinator and then later head coach of the St. Louis Rams. His Rams offenses were appropriately dubbed, “The Greatest Show on Turf”. As a Viking fan, I still haven’t forgotten the 49-37 thrashing the Rams put on Minnesota in the 2000 divisional playoff. The Rams scored through the air, on the ground, and back-breaking special team returns. The Vikings scored 37 points, but still got outclassed by a superior offensive team. Initially I don’t think a union of Martz and the 49ers were ideal. He would no longer scheme under the premise of playing 8 dome-games and the Niners don’t have the personnel at wide receiver to play his multi-motion, zigzag style. But they do have a good pass-catching running back in Frank Gore and quarterback Alex Smith played in a more open style during his collegiate career. Additionally, the general weather conditions in San Francisco would not hinder a wide-open style game, as evident to the 49ers glory years.

Martz would have to adjust his first year offense due to not having the ideal components. He would have to follow Al Saunders style of success in Kansas City, which means he would have to lean more heavily on an offense that is built up the middle and not on the perimeter. So for fantasy sake, I think this would actually help Gore as he would be the primary short route receiver. What does this mean for Vernon Davis, since the tight end was not a prominent part of the offense in either of Martz most recent stops? I believe Davis will also be utilized to help open up plays on the outside. His role would level off if Martz’s tenure becomes a long one and the Niners continue to accumulate receivers. Too early to tell, but one thing is for certain, if Martz becomes the guy who runs the offense, Alex Smith better hope he gets better line play if he is going to chuck it 45-50 times a game.