San Francisco 49ers: Why the 49ers Need Vernon Davis to Carry the Load

Oct 13, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

At the beginning of the season, it looked as if the Kaepernick-Boldin connection was going to take the NFL by storm. Unfortunately for the 49ers, teams took notice to this and schemed to stop it. And ever since week one, defenses have done a good job of doing that. So with a depleted receiving corps, how else can the 49ers pass the ball?

When the 49ers played the Colts in week three, Vernon Davis was not playing because of a hamstring injury. The Colts took advantage of this and blanketed Anquan Boldin because they knew if you stop Boldin, you stop the 49ers’ passing game.

This is why the 49ers need Vernon Davis to step up and help carry the load. Without him, defenses with double Boldin all day and shut down the 49ers’ passing offense. And even with the 49ers great running game, you never want to have a one-dimensional offense.

Davis has had some bumps in his career and has not completely played to his potential. But this year, he is proving that he is one of the best Tight Ends in the NFL today. He is an absolute freak of nature and a force to be reckoned with. He has proven that teams have to focus on him or he will wreck havoc just like he did on Sunday against the Cardinals.

In the NFL, Davis is currently tied for third in touchdowns with six, third in yards per reception at 18.4, and 26th in receiving yards with 404 yards. And to think, he’s doing all this even though he sat out one game and left early in another!

Everyone knows what a monster Vernon Davis is, but does he know it? He has the capabilities to take over this league and make it his own. He has come a long way from his early immature days, but he needs to bring back some of the selfishness on the field. He needs to want the ball and take over the game.

Behind Davis and Boldin who combine for 53 targets, the next receiver has 10. So it’s not a surprise that the 49ers’ passing game is struggling. The receivers besides Boldin aren’t stepping up, and defenses know this. They are attempting to take Boldin out of the game. This is where Davis comes in. He needs to take advantage of the lack of focus on him by defenses just like he did on Sunday. He should be having field days every single game.

Hopefully, Davis continues to destroy defenses just like he did against the Cardinals. Then maybe, it will alleviate some of the pressure on Boldin and open up some opportunities for the entire receiving corps. If Davis continues to dominate and in turn it helps pick up the passing game, the 49ers will be hard to beat.