I’ve been a devoted fan of the 49ers franchise since the early 1980′s. Our last Super Bowl title came by way of beating the Chargers in ’95, and since that time I have been patiently waiting for our team to regain its seat amongst the elite out West. With the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike Martz this year, the question remains if he has the tools to raise this 49er offense back from the dead.

The only area I have any confidence in on offense is our rushing game. With bruising running back Frank Gore returning alongside newly acquired backup Deshawn Foster, this team should do well running the football. Gore broke franchise records in previous years in both rushing and combined yardage so I see no reason why he won’t do well again.

The rest of the offense this season really depends on three main factors. One, can our team stay healthy this year? For the past few seasons this team has always lost key players during the most inopportune times of the year. I hate to say it, but I’ve started to think that this team was jinxed by the injury bug.

Two, does Issac Bruce still have anything left in the gas tank? Sure he was a three time All-Pro wide receiver during the Rams “Greatest Show on Turf” era, but at 36, will he continue to be a legitimate threat? Right now he seems to be the 49ers number one wideout and that certainly doesn’t bode well for this team. Lets hope Martz has decided to make heavy use of the very versatile but underused tight end Vernon Davis in his offensive scheming this year.

Three, We haven’t had a true star quarterback for almost a decade now. Who will rise to the occasion and become our next Joe Montana or Steve Young? Can Martz turn another no name quarterback into a superstar? Right now there seems to be a three way battle between former number one pick Alex Smith as well as quarterbacks Shaun Hill and J.T. O’Sullivan. None of them have actually convinced me that they deserve the starting job. We all know Martz had turned Marc Bulger and Kurt Warner into superstuds. Perhaps he has a little magic left in his bag of tricks for us?

Regardless of the outcome, as a hardcore 49er fan I am really looking forward to another great season of football. If all cards fall into place, I think these Niners can win at least nine games. Yes, Im being a tad optimistic, but hey, look at how well my beloved Lakers did last season with the single addition of Pau Gasol. Now that’s the beauty of sports!