Harbaugh Says 49ers Turnaround Will Take Time
SANTA CLARA (CBS / AP) — Jim Harbaugh showed up for work Monday with the same black sweater, khaki pants and San Francisco 49ers cap that he wore on the sidelines the day before and has suited up in for almost every practice and team meeting this season.
The wardrobe might be the only thing he doesn't want to change.
Harbaugh said Monday he is "trying to forge an identity" with the 49ers and it will take time to turn things around, even making a comparison to the nation's debt challenge. After blowing a two-touchdown lead in a 27-24 overtime loss to an injured Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, San Francisco certainly has some work to do.
"I think we're in the process of finding our identity and having it click on all cylinders," a humbled Harbaugh said a day after his team collapsed. "We're going to stick to our guns in a lot of ways. Disappointed like all fans, all players, all coaches, everybody involved. Disappointed but not discouraged. I feel we're on track."
For a coach known for his offensive ingenuity, Harbaugh's offense has shown little imagination.
The 49ers (1-1) rank 31st in total offense through two games and have tried to flex their muscles on rare occasions. The only team that ranks worse is Seattle — which happens to be the team San Francisco beat in the opener — and also plays in the NFC West, by far the league's worst division last season.
Even worse, the same problems that led to Mike Singletary getting fired started to resurface.
The offensive line created more holes for the defense than anything else. Alex Smith threw a costly second-half interception and was sacked six times against Dallas, and two-time Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore has run for 106 yards and a touchdown on 42 carries through two games.
None of which is the identity Harbaugh wants to bring.
"We want to be a running team. We want to be a throwing team. We want to be darn-near 50-50 and equally good in both," Harbaugh said.
"We are in a process," he added. "I know everybody wants to solve the debt today."
Things will only get tougher when the 49ers play the first of two straight East Coast road games, Cincinnati (1-1) on Sunday and Philadelphia the following week. They will stay and practice in Youngstown, Ohio, between games.
The Niners didn't make that trip any easier.
What would have been a signature victory over Dallas and a 2-0 start turned into a miserable morning. Only a few players trickled into the locker room Monday, a scheduled day off, and the ones who were left didn't feel any better after a night's sleep.
Center Jonathan Goodwin said he thought about the overtime sack he allowed to Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff all night, a play that stalled the 49ers' only drive in overtime.
"We're not making any excuses," Goodwin said. "We didn't get the job done, and that's not good."
Injuries are also beginning to pile up.
Michael Crabtree is still nursing a troublesome left foot and fellow receiver Braylon Edwards injured his right knee on a 21-yard catch in the first quarter. Edwards was scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.
Harbaugh indicated that safety Dashon Goldson and cornerback Shawntae Spencer, both starters the in the past, could return to the lineup this week. Goldson has been inactive through two games because of a sore knee and Spencer has had a hamstring strain since training camp.
Getting some depth back could be crucial.
San Francisco has started fast in the first two games and fizzled late, building leads of 16-0 and 14-0 against Seattle and Dallas, respectively. While Ted Ginn Jr.'s two kick returns in the fourth quarter saved them against the Seahawks, the 49ers had little to count on when it mattered most against Dallas.
Add it to the long list of problems Harbaugh is working to fix, even if he's not ready to reveal exactly how he plans to do that.
"We're trying to solve a lot of issues," Harbaugh said. "I know you're trying to solve them right along with us. I don't have a great answer for you right there. A lot of things we're looking at to improve ourselves."
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