Ninjames's note: Hey guys, there was an issue with scheduled posts not going up, so when I went and pushed one through, it pushed another through. Just letting you know.
49ers running back Frank Gore is once again included on the list of three nominees for the NFL's FedEx Ground Player of the Week, which recognizes the best performance by a running back each week. Head on over to give Frank some recognition for how awesome he is. You can vote as many types as you want by simply hitting the refresh button.
I realize this isn't quite like Gore winning a normal NFL Player of the Week honor, but this is still something he deserves. I'd say Gore has been the offensive MVP of this team halfway through the season. He's rushed for 691 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.2 yards per rush. He's actually also on pace for the highest carries total of his career, which is a bit worrisome. He's still pounding away, but I would really prefer to not see him surpass 300 carries this season.
There were complaints in the game thread about the use of Anthony Dixon in some key rushes late, but the real issue was that Dixon wasn't used earlier enough. Gore was apparently wearing down a bit late, thus the need for Dixon. The team needs to spend this bye week figuring out how they can use Dixon more effectively earlier in the game. Brian Westbrook is obviously another additional option, but for the purposes of looking ahead, it's time to get Dixon the ball more frequently.
At this point Dixon has nine carries in eight games, with five of those carries coming against the Broncos. I'd like to see the team try and get him at least the five carries each game, and preferably earlier on. He got one carry in the first quarter, one carry in the second quarter, and three carries late in the fourth quarter. Realistically, I think he should get those five or more carries in the second and third quarters to act as a sort of spell for Gore. He's got some blocking issues and dancing behind the lines issues to work out, but I think he deserves a bit more of a shot on the field.