We won’t speak about vibrations, energy or mood.

We won’t call out curses, snake bites, or good luck.

No, we're going to speak about just a few “X's” and “O's” here, because clearly there's something unsuitable with this 49ers team that may't just be a matter of culture or temperament.

These are the 4 biggest issues facing the 49ers on the sphere at once and my thoughts on how this team can fix them – before it's too late:

You haven’t any last line of defense

» The 49ers have 4 safeties on their energetic roster.

None of those are free security.

That, friends, is an enormous problem for a team that supposedly desired to play more single-high safety looks.

To do that, you wish not only free security, but good security.

And yet Ji'Ayir Brown has proven unable to take care of that role consistently – he was relentlessly attacked in the primary three weeks of the season – and the triumvirate of George Odum (on the bench), Talanoa Hufanga (injured, on the bench). ) and Malik Mustapha (rookie) should all be considered strong boxing safety. (Maybe Mustapha has more, but that's a tall order at this point in his profession.)

If my belief that safeties are fate is indeed correct, I don't just like the outlook for the 49ers. We often speak about how the very best quarterback in a game often wins the sport. Well, the Niners have been beaten on the back end of defense during the last 4 weeks – they’re 1-3 in those games.

How can the Niners fix this? A trade for a good free safety could be good, but given the market, the Niners' current roster state, and the necessity to hold onto draft picks (which is their only source of low-cost labor going forward), that's a tall order.

From a tactical perspective, switching to a two-tier security system could prove helpful because the young security guards can keep the sport in front of them and shoot downhill against the run. This will not be a panacea, nevertheless it could reduce the damage under the circumstances.

It's time to desert idealism and turn out to be pragmatic.

They don't rating touchdowns within the red zone

» The Niners cannot rating within the red zone. Is this an early-season blip – something that can naturally correct itself over time – or a symptom of a bigger problem?

Can I say it's a bit little bit of each?

The Niners will not be an incompetent offensive team, despite what some people may foam on the mouth to say. They rank second within the NFL in red zone opportunities and have enough talent to attain contained in the opponent's 20-yard line.

Yet here they’re, shooting short field goals as in the event that they counted twice and scoring a touchdown on just half of their goal-to-goal streak this season – thirty first within the league and a far cry from 83 percent touchdown clip they scored last season. (Kudos to ESPN's Nick Wagoner for first coming up with these stats.)

So what's happening?

Christian McCaffrey's absence is important. He was a man-to-man cheat code in a team of space-breaking weapons – a necessity in close combat.

Combine him with Deebo Samuel and you’ve gotten a cheat code put to the test. These are two players that defenses construct their game plans around. A player's movement before the snap gives Purdy the zone-or-man indicator he needs, and the second player's movement counters that defense.

So far, the Niners only have one, and that's with no legitimate pass-catching threat within the backfield (let alone one which may be deflected wide) and an offense that requires far less stretch-play motion as a consequence of the elevated shotgun formations away from the momentum of the Offensive. It's all about guys against guys in close quarters, and that's not the sport of Kyle Shanahan or the 49ers.

So what may be done?

McCaffrey can heal and play. That could be huge.

But the Niners must also think about using Samuel – a la 2021 – more often within the backfield, now particularly near the top zone. That can throw the defense off a bit. How a few shovel pass? Just one.

Purdy said Sunday he needed to be more aggressive when throwing the ball within the red zone. That will surely help.

And if McCaffrey doesn't come back, finding a real pass-catching back — a third-down, scat-back type, a la Jet McKinnon — could do wonders. I don't think Isaac Guerendo is the reply, but you’ll be able to at the least try it within the meantime.

They cannot win against man coverage

» Samuel doesn't separate himself from the urgent man-to-man coverage. This has never happened before and never will. Jauan Jennings can only do it if he goes against off-man coverage that he sees within the slot. George Kittle has to dam snap after snap to enable the running game outside the zone.

On Sunday, the Niners ran third down with each Ronnie Bell and Trent Taylor on the sphere. I'm sure the Cardinals weren't too nervous about getting burned on this snap.

Of course, Brandon Aiyuk may win away from the road of scrimmage, and he did so repeatedly on Sunday with 147 receiving yards, including nearly 100 in the primary quarter when Arizona played almost exclusively in man-to-man mode.

It underscores the bet the Cardinals made on Sunday. It's the identical thing the Chiefs did within the Super Bowl – and that the Rams and Patriots copied earlier this season:

If you're playing man-to-man against the 49ers, in a time-based offense you’ll be able to mess up the receivers' timing because they don't have natural separators. And yes, Aiyuk can escape man-to-man coverage, but the danger these teams have taken is that he won't be at full speed because the No. 1 prospect this season (Arizona discovered the hard way Aiyuk is definitely back). Form) and No. 2, that the Niners' offensive line isn't adequate to offer Purdy the time and window to make the most (that's how the Chiefs won).

So yes, the Niners could get 15-, 25-, or 35-yard plays with Aiyuk, but those might be the exceptions. Man-to-man systems also allow teams to stack the box to sell out against the run — something that was evident early Sunday.

Purdy saw all of it coming. When asked this week what he sees from opposing teams.

“I feel like there might be a theme of men’s reporting,” he said. “We just have to beat the guy in front of us, and then as quarterback I have to handle the ball accurately and execute.”

“This is football at its best… I have a feeling we might see a little bit more of this, but at the same time you never know.”

But now the Niners know. Not every team will wish to play man-to-man against San Francisco, however the principles might be the identical: If you force the Niners right into a boom-or-bust offense, they’ll often go bust.

How can San Francisco fix the issue?

It feels ridiculous to place pressure on rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, but he looks like someone who could make an impact on the NFL level. His addition to the lineup would give the Niners two such receivers and potentially change the paradigm for defense.

Otherwise, Purdy might want to proceed channeling his inner Russell Wilson and increasing plays together with his feet to offer receivers more time to search out some separation and himself more time to search out it.

You can't stop the run

» Short of trading for a defensive tackle to fill two holes, the Niners could have to make do with what they’ve on the defensive position.

But swapping linebacker De'Vondre Campbell for Dee Winters seems smart. The latter may not know what he's doing on the market, but he makes up for it with aggressiveness and speed. The opposite is true for Campbell, whose lost steps are repeatedly attacked by opposing offensive coordinators. It doesn't matter if you happen to know what to do if you happen to can't.

Since there is just one practice before Thursday's game in Seattle, I don't think you’ll be able to make the switch now, however the mini-bye before the sport against Kansas City is the proper time to make the switch.

Originally published: October 7, 2024 at 4:35 p.m

The query got here twenty minutes into Mauricio Pochettino's introductory press conference as coach of the United States men's national team; it was the primary query of the event in his native Spanish.

“It gives me a break,” joked Pochettino concerning the probability to practice his English.

“What challenge made you decide to accept the job in the USA?” asked the journalist.

The query went to the foundation of an issue that hung over all the event in a glitzy high-rise in New York City's Hudson Yards neighborhood. Why would a manager with such a giant status consider this his next move?

The 52-year-old former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach first spoke concerning the feeling he had when meeting with US Soccer executives after which concerning the great potential of the game within the USA before moving on to the true task at hand: taking the USMNT to a brand new level.

“It's a challenge that takes us out of our comfort zone,” Pochettino said in Spanish, smiling. “For us, the easiest thing is to tackle things that we already know and that we already have a clear vision and an idea (of how to achieve them). But this is about tackling something that you don't know so well; getting out of your comfort zone so you can challenge yourself.”

“It’s not just about the challenge of achieving things together, but also about challenging yourself.”

Whether consciously or not, Pochettino launched into a parallel path along with his latest team. For several cycles, the thought of ​​”getting out of the comfort zone to grow” has been a part of the USMNT's path to improvement. The idea dates back to the Jürgen Klinsmann era, but was also often discussed by former coach Gregg Berhalter.

But it's about greater than just going to Europe and playing for the most important clubs there. It's about finding the appropriate challenges that make you grow. Get higher.

That Pochettino sees this job as a challenge for his own development was perhaps crucial takeaway from Friday's press conference. The US needed a brand new voice to push them to take the subsequent step, beyond their potential and towards results. They will now begin that journey with a coach who has a greater status than anyone else within the room, but who’s in search of the identical sort of development.

Pochettino appeared charming, excited and motivated on the press conference. He talked about how comfortable he was to be with the USA, the respect of being the primary Spanish-speaking Latin American coach in this system's history, and his reference to US women's coach Emma Hayes and the potential impact the USWNT's success story could have on the lads's program.

He recounted how he learned the English expression “over the moon” during his first days as manager of Southampton within the Premier League and said he and his family were overjoyed to have taken on this latest job.

His switching between English and Spanish was a historic moment in itself, symbolizing that this commitment offers the U.S. Soccer Federation an unprecedented opportunity to succeed in the country's huge – and growing – Latino population.

However, Pochettino was clear that reaching his fans – each latest and old – got here right down to one thing: winning.

Throughout the morning, Pochettino returned several times to a straightforward concept that he believes can take the team forward: belief. He said the word “belief” a dozen times over the course of the hour-long event. For a coach known for uplifting a dressing room, it suggested he’ll put mentality and psychology as much on the forefront as tactics.

“'Believe' is a very powerful word for me,” said Pochettino. “You can have enormous talent and be clever, but in football you have to believe. Believe that anything is possible. If we all believe in it together, we will definitely achieve it.”

He later reiterated this concept along with his give attention to the World Cup, which the United States will host along with Mexico and Canada in two years.

“We really have to believe in big things,” said Pochettino. “We have to believe that we can win not just a game, but the World Cup. … We want players who show up at the training camp from day one and think big. Only then can we implement this philosophy or this idea to perform and put our talent at the service of the team. That will be our big challenge.”

Restoring that faith might be at the highest of his to-do list as coach of the USMNT.

The U.S. clearly lacked confidence within the September transfer window, which Pochettino said was comprehensible given their results on the Copa América. Their performances in a loss to Canada and a draw with New Zealand only exacerbated the issues throughout the group. Pochettino didn't seem too concerned concerning the group's overall culture, nonetheless, and alluded to the thought of ​​tapping into the “winning mentality” that permeates American sport and taking inspiration from the winning culture that the U.S. women have long displayed.

“We are here because we want to win,” said Pochettino.

Of course, ideas about easy methods to play the sport were also discussed.

“We are in the United States,” Pochettino said. “I think we want to convince our fans and aesthetics are really important. We want to play beautiful, good, exciting and attacking football. And then of course we want to have possession, because we are also coaches who have the philosophy of having the ball. We have to run, we have to move, we have to give our teammate options and good angles. … And when we don't have the ball, we have to run, we have to be aggressive, we have to be competitive.”

“The potential is there. The talent is there. It's just about giving them the best platform to flourish.”

While Pochettino acknowledged that these are his team's trademarks, he said he desired to get a feel for his players before deciding how the U.S. team would play.

That process will begin in the subsequent few days when Pochettino inevitably sits down and meets with members of the player pool, most notably star winger Christian Pulisic. Pochettino said he wants to listen to from each team member to get feedback on how they see things. He will then bring the group together for the primary time next month for friendlies in Austin, Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico.

The technique of getting a deal done was lengthy, taking greater than two months from the beginning of recruitment to his official presentation. Pochettino admitted it was difficult to attend. He was able to get to work.

Now the clock is ticking. The USA has lower than two years until the World Cup and still has quite a bit to climb to be ready, but they’ve a coach few would have thought would lead this group into this tournament.

A coach who will now attempt to instill confidence on this team.