Q&A with 49ers' Mining the Gold Rush

In anticipation of Sunday's showdown with the 49ers, I chatted with Samuel Lam of MVN.com's Mining the Gold Rush about his thoughts on the game. ?Here's Lam's evaluation of the current state of affairs in 49er land. ? ?How is J.T. O?Sullivan adjusting to the role of starting quarterback in the NFL.? Has he earned the trust of his teammates thus far? O?Sullivan is definitely an improvement to whatever the Niners threw out there last season. His adjustment to the role has been fine since he is very familiar with the offense, and knows exactly what to do in certain situations. Also, the fact that the Niners have looked solid offensively in the last two games, no doubt the team is right behind him.?Much was made about Mike Martz?s arrival in San Francisco this season.? Is there a noticeable difference in the 49ers? offense.? Is it running more smoothly?? Is it something the offensive veterans are buying into?One of the things about the new offense that differed from the old is that we know it works. And with a quarterback that can run it, you can see the passing game improve so much. The running game has been very solid for Frank Gore. Martz knows that Gore has Marshall Faulk-like talent. I think that since the team has seen it work and knows it works, the rookies and veterans are buying into it. It took them a little while to get on it, but I think that with a few games under their belts, they are going to head into this full force.?How has Frank Gore been utilized in the Martz offense thus far??? Martz is known for featuring the running back in his offense as much as possible.? Is Gore reaping the rewards?Gore has been nothing but amazing. His 130 yards rushing is a sign of what he can do in the offense. We know that Martz loves to pass, but with a talent like Gore, the run and the pass are great options for him. And the fact that the pass game is so good right now, Gore will be used a lot in the offense. In the first three games, Gore has put together 287 rushing yards. Now that?s a good total.?Which unit is the strongest/weakest for the 49ers?? Does the offense consistently outshine the defense or vice versa?? What about position?? What is San Fran?s strongest position?The offensive line, which lost Jonas Jennings a couple weeks ago to shoulder injury, is a little banged up with guys switching around. However, I think our weakest and strongest point is our defensive backfield. Shawntae Spencer?s season-ending injury adds a lot to a banged up secondary. However, our top two corners are still shutting down receivers. So that may be our strongest point, but our bench is really thin.The offense is built to outscore the opponent, and hope that the defense can do its part. The focus will always be on the offense since Martz has arrived. But I think the key to the offense is the field position the defense sets up. Both are equally important, but the offense is getting a lot more attention right now.I guess our defensive backs may still be our strongest position just for the fact that they are relied on so much to help establish the field position for the offense.?What are the 49ers going to have to do to get a win on the road in New Orleans this Sunday?????????????????? If the 49ers can score early, then it makes it a whole lot easier for the team to diversify the run and passing game. If they cannot get that done, it may become solely an aerial assault, which may not work in the Niners? favor.?