Quick, flashback to 2007. The San Francisco 49ers have high expectations, but after a promising 2-0 start, the team falls flat and loses the next eight games. Four quarterbacks suit up over the course of the season, and, of those who threw at least 100 passes, Alex Smith’s 57.2 quarterback leads the team. As a unit the quarterbacks throw complete 53.4 percent of their attempts. Frank Gore averages just 73.5 yards per game and carries for five touchdowns. At the end of the season the team ranks dead last in yards per game and points per game.

Okay, present day. The J.T. O’Sullivan-led San Francisco 49ers are 2-1 right now, ranked 10th in the NFL in points per game and 11th in overall yards per game. They’ve scored 30-plus points in each of their past two games and have turned the ball over just once in those two games. O’Sullivan himself has a 104.6 quarterback rating, and Frank Gore is averaging 95.7 rushing yards per game and has plunged his way to three rushing scores.

What’s different? Okay, J.T. O’Sullivan is the quarterback, but, let’s be honest here, he’s J.T. O’Sullivan. He’s not the key here. Maybe he’s a key but he isn’t the key. No, the key to the Niners recent success is offensive guru Mike Martz, whose offensive scheme has the team clicking on all cylinders right now. He’s looking brilliant and it’s because the offense is buying what he’s preaching.

Everyone thinks he doesn’t want to run the ball, and that’s not fair. How many teams in NFL history have ever had a top five passing offense and rushing offense? None, okay. That’s why. Give him a talented back and a decent quarterback, and he’ll run it down opponents’ throats. That’s what’s happening now. Gore is looking great. He has three touchdowns and he’s averaging 4.8 yards per carry; that’s keeping defenses honest, and it’s creating passing lanes for O’Sullivan who’s taking advantage.

When has Martz not coached a winner? The Rams had an overall .624 winning percentage in his six seasons with the team; they even won an NFC Championship game. And fair is fair: how good have the Rams been since he left? Oh, 15 wins and 31 losses? That, if I’m doing the math right, is a .326 winning percentage, which means they won almost twice as frequently with Martz.

Interesting.

And you want to know the ultimate reason the Rams started losing games? Lovie Smith. He left after the 2003 season, after being the Rams defensive coordinator for the three previous seasons. Following his departure, the Rams ranked 25th and 31st in the league in points per game allowed; worse than any year since, yup, 2000, the year before Smith arrived. 

So here’s what can said about Mike Martz: he’s the brightest offensive coordinator in the NFL. He’s taking a team right now, the San Francisco 49ers no less, that hasn’t ranked better than 24th in points per game since 2003 and has usually been ranked in the 30s. He’s taking a sixth round draft pick and plugging him into his offense and it’s working. He’s reminding us of how good Frank Gore can be. He’s winning.

I think it’s time we all take a step back and recognize that.