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San Francisco 49ers: Thresholds for Success in 2016

By Trevor Irvine

Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller (49) and outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) try to recover a fumble in the end zone during the first half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller (49) and outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) try to recover a fumble in the end zone during the first half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers have several unknowns going into the 2016 season, which hopefully will be addressed successfully. There is a new coaching staff, new players and existing players competing for a roster spot. We do know that the team has a brutal schedule for 2016. The team would like to get back to its winning ways from 2011-13. Niner Noise takes a look at five ways the team can meet winning thresholds this season.

Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs onto the field with his team before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs onto the field with his team before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

As Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy notes, the San Francisco 49ers are not a favorite in any game for the 2016 season.

Coming off a 5-11 campaign, and now with a whole new coaching staff, this prediction is not really a surprise. Indeed, the play of many younger players will need to be better this season and other veterans need to recover from 2015 and offseason surgeries.

The players are still digesting head coach Chip Kelly’s play book, and adjusting to the speed he wants on offense. Despite some early struggles in the initial OTAs, there was a steady improvement through June (though no padded practices yet).

There is still a long way to go, and only time will tell if the players fully catch onto the speed and schemes. To have any hope for success, both the offense and the defense need to rebound from subpar 2015 seasons.

The offense ranked dead last in total offense in 2015. The running game, which started so promisingly, stalled when starting running back Carlos Hyde was lost with a foot injury. The team finished with a rushing average of 96.5 yards per game, which was way down compared to 2011-14.

The passing game was also porous. Starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick stumbled to a 78.5 QB rating (which was the worst mark in his career). Backup QB Blaine Gabbert was inserted, and he provided a small boost with a 86.2 QB rating.

The defense, which was so strong under former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, also had a forgettable year ranking a lowly 18th in team defense and managing a measly 28 sacks on the year.

So now what? The only way to go from here is up, right?

The Niners will have to achieve some benchmarks if they want to have any degree of hope in 2016. Let’s take a look at five of them to get back on track to bring back the Niners glory.

Next: Rushing offense must average 130-plus yards per game