As much as folks have dumped on Alex Smith, Frank Gore was the one who proba bly had the ugliest performance last night. I created an Alex Smith FanPost discussion in reaction to the game and the crowd's reaction, but maybe a Frank Gore discussion is more apropos. Gore carried the ball 18 times for 52 yards and had 4 catches for 21 yards, but more importantly he had two critical fumbles that were as much of a contributor to the loss as anything else.
So let's open up the discussion on this subject. After all, over the course of this season we've had numerous comments from folks about trading Gore, or how he might be done, or a variety of issues. I even saw someone say he's the most overrated player in the NFL (I'll blame that on the heat of the moment). The point is that frustrations do not just surround Alex Smith.
Gore is currently having his poorest season as a starter. I honestly am not completely sure of the cause of this, or really if it's one single factor. Some say the wheels are getting worn down. Others blame the offensive line and Moran Norris. Others claim passing struggles lead to too many men in the box. Personally, I don't think it's necessarily too much tread. He isn't showing burst as frequently, so I could be entirely wrong. I do agree with the thought that running the ball on first down just about every single series is going to cause a safety to creep into the box more frequently. It seems like the team doesn't do enough to keep the extra couple of guys out of the box and Gore's game is suffering because of that.
What do you think is causing Gore's troubles at this point?