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As the first practice of the day came to a close Wednesday, Coach Dennis Erickson summoned the players for an unusually long on-field discussion. The subject of the impromptu lecture: proper execution on third down.
Erickson held court after the 49ers made two mental errors during a third-down drill. The defense erred by jumping offside on a third-and-five. And the offense blew it when a receiver ran a 6-yard pattern on a third-and-eight.
``You have to be disciplined and understand the situation on third down on both sides of the football,'' Erickson said. ``If you are a cornerback and it's third-and-three, are you going to play 10 yards off of them?''
The 49ers led the NFL last season by converting 52.3 percent of their third-down opportunities. But the defense was at the other end of the spectrum, finishing last by allowing opponents to convert 46.9 percent of the time.
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Erickson held court after the 49ers made two mental errors during a third-down drill. The defense erred by jumping offside on a third-and-five. And the offense blew it when a receiver ran a 6-yard pattern on a third-and-eight.
``You have to be disciplined and understand the situation on third down on both sides of the football,'' Erickson said. ``If you are a cornerback and it's third-and-three, are you going to play 10 yards off of them?''
The 49ers led the NFL last season by converting 52.3 percent of their third-down opportunities. But the defense was at the other end of the spectrum, finishing last by allowing opponents to convert 46.9 percent of the time.
MORE
