As we noted in Sunday's late-night podcast, the 49ers were a different beast on offense in Week 3's disappointing loss to the still-undefeated Arizona Cardinals.
Abandoning its typical run-heavy approach, San Francisco wheeled out a high percentage of five-receiver sets that left four pass-catchers to play more snaps than running back Frank Gore.
The wideout-rich approach helped Colin Kaepernick to a career-high 78.4 completion percentage, but Gore was nonplussed after seeing just 10 yards off six rushes, his fewest amount of totes in two years.
"I can't talk right now," Gore told reporters after the game, per Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. "I'm sorry. I can't talk."
Gore has seen his carries dip week by week. After 16 attempts against the Cowboys in the opener, the bruising runner carried the ball 13 times against the Bears before seeing that total cut by more than half Sunday.
It was odd for San Francisco to depart from a base offense that's generated so much success under coach Jim Harbaugh. Instead of the punishing style 49ers fans are used to, Kaepernick and friends left Gore on the sideline to watch as the team failed to score a fourth-quarter point for the third straight game.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps all of the Week 3 action and picks the top team in the AFC.
