Ground to a halt

I'm glad to hear that RBs Laurence Maroney and LaMont Jordan are not on the injury report. That's the good news. The bad news is San Francisco RB Frank Gore is absent from the 49ers' injury report.

The key to this game will be stopping the run. Yeah, I know it sounds funny saying that about an offense called by pass-happy offensive coordinator and former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz. But I don't think his ego will get the better of him. If the running game is productive, then he will shove it down the Patriots' throat.

Coming into this game, Martz will be confident that Gore can get going quickly. New England is 25th in rushing defense, allowing almost 141 yards per game! Even if you take away the Miami smorgasborg of 216 yards, teams average 103 yards per game, a mediocre 16th-ranked run defense in the league.

This isn't a new problem. Last year's offense forced most opponents to quickly abandon their running game. In close games in 2007, opponents did fine, averaging 101.5 yards per game. Don't forget last year's throttling of Miami. Before he tore up his knee, RB Ronnie Brown was off to a great start, gaining 76 yards on just 17 carries.

Last year's defense allowed 4.1 yards per carry. This year it is up to 5 yards a pop. That's absolutely unacceptable.

Fixing the problem is always easier said than done. First off the Patriots offense needs to possess the ball for long drives. That will be done with the short passes they've used in the past two games as well as with the backfield committee of Maroney, Jordan, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk.

But it boils down to defensive execution. The front seven needs to kick the ass of San Francisco's big uglies. The next step, which has been a problem this year, they have to tackle the ball carrier.

But bringing down physical runners hasn't been easy this year. Besides the Dolphins' Brown, the Jets' Thomas Jones broke free for 70 yards on just 17 carries.

Gore, besides being tough to bring down, is a shifty runner, able to beat defenders one-on-one in the open field after breaking through the line. He's averaging 4.9 yards per carry behind a offensive line that averages 318 pounds.

I'm not that concerned about the passing game. They average 37 pass attempts per game. QB J.T. O'Sullivan has already absorbed 19 sacks. That's a lot of opportunities for the D to make plays when the 49ers drop back.

But defending the run is another story. The Patriots defense knows what they have to do. The question is will they do it?

In an unrelated story, I feel the Redskins are a team worth rooting for now.