Mike Martz

"He wants to run the ball." - Mike Martz, former Offensive Coordinator

Since 2002, the last season in which the 49ers made the playoffs under Steve Mariucci, the team has been plagued by inept offenses caused by pretty much everything that could possibly ruin a team's scoring ability: injuries, bad quarterback play, substandard offensive lines, lack of playmaking wide receivers, horrible playcalling, poor field position due to inadequate defenses and special teams, on and off the field distractions, and a lack of offensive continuity over each season. Entering the 2009 season, the 49ers will have their SEVENTH offensive coordinator in the same amount of years. That's right, SEVEN.

Following last season's debacle at the hands of former offensive coordinator, Jim Hostler, former head coach Mike Nolan brought in Mike Martz to not only save the 49ers' offense, but to also save Mike Nolan's job. Nolan knew very well that he didn't know shit about managing the offense, and it was his inability to do so that was the source of his failures. On the other hand, Martz has been regarded as one of the most, if not the most, brilliant and creative coordinators in the game, albeit the most arrogant and stubborn, as well. This is the guy that thinks anything worse than a top 10 offense is considered a failure [note: the 49ers ranked 23rd this past season]. At the time of the hiring, it wasn't really a bad move at all. After the Hostler fiasco, Nolan needed to do something drastic, and it's hard to find anything more drastic than hiring Martz to revamp the offense. It was refreshing to finally have a playcaller with some credibility leading the way.

Martz's most important job was to utilize the young and talented, yet underachieving players of the offense and to create a system in which they would thrive. What's frustrating is that the 49ers offense IS talented. You look at players on the team like Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Joe Staley, and even Alex Smith, and it just makes you want to pull your hair out watching them underperform week in and week out. Two years ago, Norv Turner proved that under the right system, these players had the potential to run the league over and shoot it out with the best. As brilliant as Martz is, you would've figured he'd be able to do the same, right? Wrong.

While Martz was an improvement over Hostler in every aspect, he failed for all the same reasons that he failed for in the past...

1. He placed too much emphasis on the passing game. Before the season started, it was exciting to imagine Frank Gore being utilized the way Marshall Faulk was with the Rams, however the running game was rarely established. It's hard to get an offense going when you neglect to use your best offensive player. In addition, his aggressive playcalling caused the rate of sacks and turnovers to skyrocket. Early in the season, the Niners were on pace to break the club records for each stat in a single season.

2. The same could almost be said of Vernon Davis. In his third year, despite his talent and undeniable passion for the game, Davis has yet to make a significant impact in the passing game. This year, he proved to be a superior blocker, but what everybody is waiting to see is the tackle-breaking, sure-handed freak of nature that dominated the college ranks. One of the biggest questions surrounding Martz was whether he could utilize the 49ers tight ends despite never doing so in the past. While he talked highly of the tight ends, ultimately, he failed to generate any significant production out of them.

3. Martz's stubborness was revealed in his decision to start JT O'Sullivan over Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. While it can be argued that JTO had a better grasp of the offense and gave the team the best chance to win at the time, it's difficult to look at Hill's success this season and to say he would not have been an improvement. With Hill under center, Martz cut down on the seven step drops and played much more conservatively. In doing so, it almost eliminated the two trademark flaws of the Martz system: high turnover rates and high sack rates. For once, he did something he rarely did before: adjust his system to fit his players. It worked brilliantly, but at the same time, it just wasn't Mike Martz.

Now, with Mike Singletary and his smashmouth, ball control, run-the-ball-down-their-throats philosphy on board for the next four years, Martz just seemed like a wrong fit. Singeltary is old-school in every aspect and the team, put together by Scott McCloughan, was made to run the ball. In order to make his mark on the team, Singletary had no choice but to let Martz go. Sure, it disrupted the continuity of the offense AGAIN, but it was a necessary loss that will help build the identity of the offense and lead them back to respectability.

NEXT: The Mike Singletary Offense