San Francisco 49ers 2011 Season Preview

Jim Harbaugh brought a level of toughness and unprecedented success in his tenure at Stanford, and he’ll look to do the same at the professional level with San Francisco. He proved he could develop quarterbacks with star Andrew Luck, and he’ll need to do the same with former number one pick Alex Smith. Harbaugh also drafted a possible successor for Smith in Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick.

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The NFC West projects to be a tight one again with the Niners the favorite despite a forecasted record just barely over .500. Still, the division was very winnable a year ago, and with moderate improvement that could come from the coaching change pushes San Francisco into the favored position. The Niners are projected to make the playoffs 53 percent of the time, and champions of the West 50 percent of the time.

The passing game could improve greatly with a better system under Harbaugh and the continued maturity of Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree. The running game was greatly hindered last season due to the multiple injuries sustained by Frank Gore. Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter was brought in through the draft, and he could help cover any repeat issues this year. The 49ers hope he can provide a big spark in the backfield. Most of the team’s success, though, probably hinges on the play of Smith under center.

Projected Record: 8–8
Projected Division Finish: 1st
Probability of Winning Division: 50%
Probability of Making Playoffs: 53%

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