In the first of a three-part series, 49ers.com will review the highlights as well as the memorable notes and quotes from the 2011 season for all three phases of the game. First up is the offensive unit which produced some of the most memorable postseason moments in the franchise’s proud playoff history and also ushered in a new all-time rushing leader for the San Francisco 49ers.
Overview
From day one, offensive coordinator Greg Roman wanted his offense to have plenty of “breadth to it.” The first-year coordinator, along with his trusted offensive staff, went above and beyond in creating an attacking system that best utilized the diverse talents of its players.
Back on Feb. 16, the day when Roman made his first comments to the Bay Area media as an employee of the 49ers after he followed head coach Jim Harbaugh to San Francisco from their stint together at Stanford University, it was clear Roman would bring an intelligent and diverse approach to the game.
“I think number one is trying to build the foundation for our offense and our number one goal in laying a strong foundation is having some breadth to it so we can kind of adapt and move within that to the strengths of our players,” Roman said that day at his meet and greet.
Months later, Roman’s offense in its first year together, provided several lasting moments in San Francisco’s first NFC West Championship season as well as first playoff berth since 2002.
Who could forget Roman’s daring play-calling this year? Plays like the 28-yard designed quarterback run 
When it was all said and done, the 49ers featured a pounding run attack that saw multiple linemen entering the game as extra blockers. At other times, Roman even found ways to utilize defensive players as blockers such as Sopoaga, All-Pro defensive tackle
As a result, San Francisco finished eighth in rushing this season, averaging 127.8 yards per game. Gore, who surpassed Hall of Famer runner Joe “The Jet” Perry for the franchise’s all-time rushing mark in a Week 13 home win over the St. Louis Rams, was named to his third Pro Bowl. Gore totaled 1,211 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the year. The slashing runner also averaged 75.7 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry in posting his fifth 1,000-yard rushing season of his seven-year career.
With the offense still going through its development in the early stages of the season, Gore shouldered the load. At one point, Gore put together arguably his most impressive stretch of his career by posting five straight 100-yard rushing games. The 49ers went undefeated in those games, and put together an eight-game winning streak while featuring Gore’s pounding style to compliment Alex Smith’s sound decision-making.
And as Gore continued to draw a crowded box with typically eight defenders nearby, Smith enjoyed the best season of his seven-year career. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft posted his first 3,000-yard passing season. He finished with a career-high 3,144 yards going along with 17 touchdown passes and a career-low five interceptions.
The 49ers ranked 29th in passing yards per game in 2011, but much of that could be attributed to a shortened offseason as well as constant change at the wide receiver position. The 49ers started six different sets of starting receivers on the year and lost promising wideout
Still,
In 16 regular season games, Davis caught 67 passes for 792 yards. But it was in the postseason where Davis’ star shined brightest. In two playoff games, the first of his six-year career, the athletic specimen hauled in 10 catches for 292 yards and four touchdowns.
Davis caught a pair of touchdowns in both playoff games, but one stood out much more than the others. With the 49ers needing a field goal to tie the Saints in a back-and-forth Divisional Playoff game, Davis held on a to a perfectly thrown 14-yard touchdown pass from Smith. The “Vernon Post” might be referred to as, “The Grab,” or “Catch 3,” but no matter what you call it, the play resulted in a game-winning touchdown in San Francisco’s first playoff appearance in nine seasons.
Such playoff moments made it worth the wait. But in order to get back to the NFC Championship game, the place where the New York Giants edged the 49ers 20-17 in overtime, the 49ers will need plenty more memorable moments.
Thankfully, the team will have a whole offseason to work under Harbaugh, Roman and the 49ers coaching staff. Now it’s just a matter of making decisions on the team’s key free agents on offense (Smith, Morgan and starting right guard
Stat That Counts
Sure you can point to the impressive season Gore put together after returning to the field from a season-ending hip injury in 2010 as the best statistical achievement by the 49ers offense. You could also highlight the offense committing 10 turnovers on the year (five interceptions, five fumbles), a stat that stands as the fewest in franchise history and tied for the best mark in league history along with the 2010 New England Patriots.
As impressive as those accomplishments were, there’s one number worth more attention and that’s the six, come-from-behind victories put together by the 49ers offense.
Five of those comebacks took place in the regular season; four of them came on the road, no less.
As a result, Smith and the offense showed that no stage was too big. When the offense needed to respond to its counterparts, it came up with timely plays.
“I felt Alex played extremely bold,” Harbaugh said following the win over New Orleans. “Might be time to give Alex a little credit, huh? Spectacular performance by him as well. We just put things in his hands and our offense’s hands. They really did a great job learning this game plan, understanding it and then going out and executing it.”
Smith was selected by teammates as the 2011 Ed Block Courage Award recipient, an honor bestowed to a player that exemplifies sportsmanship and courage. Smith was a perfect choice for the award in demonstrating on-field brilliance as well as a humble approach to his success.
Game of the Year
In a year full of success, 14 wins in total, it’s difficult to single out one victory as the best. Sure, thrilling road wins in Philadelphia and Detroit will undoubtedly be etched in the minds of the players and coaches for years to come. But when you truly look at lasting moments from the 2011 season, how can you not celebrate Davis’ game-winning catch against the Saints?
In the YouTube-digital era we live in today, the play will forever live on infamy with so many different camera angles of the moment posted online. Just imagine if other key moments in franchise history took place in the social media era.
Not only did Davis make the big play in the end, but he did similar things throughout the game. Davis posted the most receiving yards by a tight end in postseason history, catching seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
“You’re going to live or die in these games. We lived,” Harbaugh said after his first postseason win as a head coach. “We move on and we move on in spectacular fashion. Really proud of our football team. I know there was ‘The Catch’. I don’t know what you’re going to call this one. ‘The throw?’ ‘The throw and catch?’ But it was a great play by Vernon Davis and Alex Smith. Vernon was huge today in this ball game. It was a great team effort. Great team victory.”
Quote of the Year
Feeling a little down after three games in which Gore did not surpass the 100-yard mark, tackle Joe Staley spoke up on behalf of the offensive line.
Good thing he did.
“Contrary to everyone’s belief, we don’t suck,” Staley said on Sept. 29 from a hotel hallway in Boardman, OH. “We’re good players and we play well. It comes down to everybody executing. It takes all 11 guys. It doesn’t take five offensive linemen to make a running play go.”
Although the comment was said somewhat in jest, it was clear that Staley wasn’t lacking confidence.
In fact, the fifth-year player was named to his first Pro Bowl for his play on the field. It was a fitting choice as Staley not only represented the offensive line in the league’s annual All-Star game, but proved once and for all that the 49ers have good players, who did in fact, play well.
Newcomer of the Year
The offense found its anchor this offseason with the addition of a former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl winner in
Goodwin, who signed a three-year contract a week into training camp, proved to be a vital addition to the lineup. In solidifying the offensive line, San Francisco found a humble, hard-working player to anchor its line and dish out the appropriate protection calls at the line of scrimmage.
No situation was too difficult for Goodwin to overcome. As a result, teammates voted him the winner of the team’s annual Bobb McKittrick Award, given annually to the 49ers offensive linemen who best represents courage, intensity and sacrifice displayed by the longtime offensive line coach who worked 21 seasons for the 49ers.
The honor meant a great deal to Goodwin, especially considering that it was voted on solely by his offensive line teammates.
“It means a lot to see some of the names on that wall and to be included in that group,” Goodwin said. “It’s an award that was voted on by my teammates so it means a lot to me. To be the new guy and win an award like that, it’s something I’ll always remember.”
The chemistry, however, went past the relationships in the offensive line’s meeting room.
“The one thing that stood out to me about this team is that we worked extremely hard as a group,” Goodwin noted. “I just wanted the guys to have success and get a chance to play in the Big Game and experience it.”
A loss in the NFC Championship game, although disappointing, didn’t ruin Goodwin’s initial experience of playing in the Bay Area. Now, he’s going to head back home to South Carolina and enjoy time with the family before getting back into his offseason training routine. In Goodwin’s mind, the loss to the New York Giants only strengthens the bonds made in 2011 with new teammates.
“It’s a learning experience, one you wished you didn’t have to learn from. But I see this group bouncing back and coming back even stronger next year and try to take that next step.”