SANTA CLARA–Frank Gore is in his 13th year as a starting running back, but at this point in his career, he might be most dangerous when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.
That’s probably taking it too far, but it’s a legitimate testament to Gore’s outstanding skills as a pass blocker and his ability to aid his offensive line in protection.
“He’s a really good blocker for a running back and we have to anticipate, especially if any of us beat a one-on-one, just anticipate that if he’s back there blocking, we have to make sure we make a move on him,” 49ers’ defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said.
Bucker is among the slew of front-seven players on the 49ers’ defense preparing to deal with Gore this Sunday in the running back’s first matchup against the team he spent the first 10 seasons of his career with.
While Gore’s 13,256 yards and at least 1,000 more than every other active running back in the league, it’s what Gore does as a blocker that has the 49ers concerned as they prepare to head to Indianapolis. A number of Gore’s old teammates have spoken about what makes the 34-year-old back so unique, and on Thursday, linebacker NaVorro Bowman said it’s Gore’s unparalleled preparation that’s allowed him to be so successful.
“It doesn’t just start on the field,” Bowman said. “Frank is a guy that’s in the building before anyone every single day and being a constant professional. So what you see on Sunday is evident of the work that he’s put in prior to the games that he’s played. Just him being a constant leader all of the time and just being a great teammate. I miss him, man, and he was here for a long time and I enjoy watching him run the ball.”
Gore will aid an often-porous Colts’ offensive line in its attempt to protect quarterback Jacoby Brissett this Sunday, but he’ll also be tasked with running behind that line and gashing a 49ers’ front seven that’s much improved this year.
On Thursday, Buckner and Bowman explained how Gore does an excellent job keeping defensive players honest, because if linemen over-pursue from their gaps, Gore still has the ability to make them pay.
“He’s a downhill runner and he’s looking for that backside to open up,” Buckner said. “If guys get cut out of their gaps on the backside, that will cause a real big problem. We’ve been working a lot this week, making sure guys aren’t getting caught out of their gaps.”
Though Gore is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry this season, the lowest mark in his career, the 49ers are wary of the NFL’s oldest starting tailback because he’s so instinctual on the field. If Gore senses that an offensive lineman can help his cause, Buckner said Gore is going to give that lineman the best possible chance to do so.
“There’s all types of backs around the league so a lot of good running backs know how to set up their blocks and use, say an offensive lineman misses a block, at first, some backs do a really good job with setting up the defender and making him believe that he’s going one way to make his offensive lineman catch up and make that block and cut a different way,” Buckner said.
Though Buckner never played with Gore in San Francisco, Bowman did and he’s certain that Gore has already begun rallying his offensive linemen together to lead a dominant performance this week. Gore admitted on Wednesday morning that he was “bitter” about the way his tenure with the 49ers’ ended, but said he’s now at peace with the way his situation unfolded. Though Gore says he has plenty of respect for the 49ers, there’s no doubt he’s eager to leave an impression on many of his former teammates and drop San Francisco to 0-5 this weekend.
“He’s smart, man, he understands how I play the position so he’ll try to act like he’s going in one gap and try to bounce to another and he’s over there probably trying to get his offensive line riled up to handle our defense and talking about Bow, it’s always got to get Bow,” Bowman said. “I know Frank is always getting prepared the right way and ready to play against us.”
On Thursday, 49ers’ defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said that even though the Colts have used more of a running back-by-committee approach at times this year, that Gore is still capable of being an every down player.
“He’ll still run downhill, he’ll still put his face right on you and he’s still pretty good out of the backfield,” Saleh said. “He’s still a dynamic running back and he’s still able to create when there’s nothing there. From a scheme standpoint, I’ve always felt, I don’t want to say they’re the same, but they do utilize him in a way that maximizes Frank for sure. He’s downhill.”
Even though it’s clear the 49ers have a tremendous amount of respect for Gore, San Francisco can sniff blood in the water and isn’t backing down from a 1-3 Colts team. The 49ers are frustrated after nearly pulling off victories in three of their four games this season, and just because they’ve struggled through the first quarter of the season doesn’t mean they’re deterred. Saleh said that for as much respect as the 49ers have for Gore, they like what they have on the defensive side of the ball and they’ll go right at him.
“He is an unbelievable pass-blocker, that’s without question,” Saleh said. “That’s even in the past, always preparing for him and it doesn’t really change. We’ll still take our linebackers over him.”