SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Frank Gore is frustrated. And the Pro Bowl running back says it's time to take it out on the Seattle Seahawks.
The reigning NFC rushing champion has mostly been contained during San Francisco's first three games as the team's struggling offense has sunk to the bottom of the NFL rankings.
The 49ers still have managed a 2-1 record to take into Sunday's battle with Seattle for first place in the NFC West, but Gore is upset that he and the offense aren't doing their part.
"We won two games and the offense has done nothing," Gore said Thursday. "We just have to start making plays. Running the ball, throwing the ball everything. It's on us. We're not doing what it takes to get to the next level right now as an offense."
After recording a team-record nine 100-yard games last year, Gore still is looking for his first breakout game of 2007 one month into the season. This could be the week he finds it.
"We got big runs on them," Gore said. "They couldn't stop me in the open field. We know we can do it because we did it before. We just have to get on the same page and put it all together. It's going to happen."
It hasn't been happening for Gore or the San Francisco offense so far this season. Gore was limited to just 39 yards rushing on 14 carries during last week's loss at Pittsburgh, his lowest total in the 20 games he has started since entering the NFL two years ago.
Gore rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns to spark the 49ers in their Week 2 victory at St. Louis, but otherwise he has found the going tough since the season began.
After leading the NFC and finishing third in the NFL last season with a franchise-record 1,695 yards rushing, Gore is currently 11th in the NFC and 24th in the league with 175 yards. He's averaging only 3.4 yards per carry after averaging 5.4 per carry last season -- the best average among the 23 NFL running backs that gained 1,000 or more yards.
With opposing defenses stacking the box to stop Gore, San Francisco's offense failed to produce 200 yards in either of the team's first two games. The 49ers had 289 yards against Pittsburgh to climb from last to 31st in the NFL rankings this week in total offense.
"Our defense has been playing great ball, but we have to help out," Gore said. "We just have to keep pushing, keep working, get an extra push, do extra. The only way I see this team doing better this year is the offense has to play better. If we don't play better, man, it's going to be real tough for us."
Coach Mike Nolan understands his star running back's frustration. But that's something that goes both ways, Nolan said. He thinks it's only a matter of time before Gore and the offense get on track.
"I know there's a lot of frustration in the Seattle locker room, too, when they were talking about Frank," Nolan said.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
