“The oline has been so great this year,” praised quarterback Alex Smith. “We’ve done such a great job with depth, when one guy does go down whether that be for a play or a couple of games, whoever is coming in is not skipping a beat, not missing anything. We are going on and executing and playing well and those guys up front deserve a lot of credit, especially those guys moving around and filling in. That’s a hard thing to do sometimes and they are doing a great job.”

In week one, when the 49ers opened their season in Arizona, they quickly lost Pro Bowl guard Larry Allen with an MCL sprain on the game’s first series that caused him to miss the next five games. Tony Wragge came in that game in Allen’s stead, and when right next door, starting left tackle Jonas Jennings went down in that same game with an ankle injury, Adam Snyder came in to fill his shoes, leaving two new players on the left side of the line.
The starting lineup returned to its original form against Chicago with Snyder sharing reps at right tackle with starter Kwame Harris, a plan that originally took shape back in training camp. Harris and Snyder would then fall into a 50-50 pattern until Snyder suffered a knee sprain against the New Orleans Saints.
Coincidentally, with that healthy line Frank Gore had four out six straight games with more than 100-yards on the ground including a 212-yard day against Seattle giving this young 49ers offense an identity.  Now the line forges ahead again this Sunday with the division on the line without starting center Eric Heitmann.  “It’s tough to lose your center, that’s the gasoline in your tank and he really held the oline together,” said Harris. “But we still have to play, the game goes on and we’ve got two great centers backing him up. We all know that as an offensive line whoever is in there will do their job.”

“I have really good confidence in my guys,” said Gore. “Wragge came in for Larry early-on and did a great job. Snyder played right, left tackle, guard. They come in and do a great job. It’s a big loss that Heitmann is done, but I know the other guys work hard and they love to do their job. There’s no question they’ll open holes for me this week, no question.”
Gore is only 79 yards shy of beating the 49ers franchise record for the most yards in a single season has its way of building Gore with that kind of confidence, but so does the way this offensive line has prepared and produced.

Arizona did hold Gore to 87 yards in the season opener, but the running back made an impact in the passing game with 83 yards receiving. Additionally, that game was mostly without Allen who is back in top form and was just selected to his 11th Pro Bowl. “Defenses have been coming after me all year,” said Gore. “They are a good defense, they are physical. But, if Big L.A. and all my linemen, receivers and fullback do what they usually do, we’ll be alright.”

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