Kneejerk Knotes: Elephant in the room

Maybe it wasn't all Jim Hostler's fault after all.

The 49ers' offense finally "opened up" like everyone was hoping for in Sunday's 37-16 loss to the Steelers. Hostler's play-calling was creative and mostly pretty good, Vernon Davis was a major factor until getting hurt, and Alex Smith looked like a real NFL quarterback in as hostile an environment as you can find in the NFL.

So where did things go wrong for the 49ers? The same place they went wrong against Arizona and St. Louis — on the ground.

Aside from one big run in St. Louis, Frank Gore has looked nothing like he did while leading the NFC in rushing a year ago. Has he lost a step? Doubtful. The problem for the 49ers has really been the offensive line's inability to create holes for Gore, who gained just 39 yards on 14 carries in Pittsburgh.

Is it at all possible that Kwame Harris' absence is hurting the running game? It hurts to even say such a thing, but Harris has always been regarded as a good run blocker. I don't think Joe Staley has necessarily been bad, but maybe the 49ers really did lose a little in exchanging Kwame's run blocking for an upright quarterback (which Staley has mostly provided). Or maybe Larry Allen is finally beginning to lose a step in his old age. I don't know where the problem is, but there's clearly a problem.

I think the play-calling has been over-criticized, while the lack of a run game has been given a free pass as a reason for the 49ers' struggles. It's easier to get creative in play-calling when you have a potent ground game, and it's easier to be a great quarterback when teams have to stack the box to stop the run. The 49ers' running game is no longer scary, and that will have to change before this offense really gets untracked.

THAT SAID, IT'S hard not to be encouraged with the way the 49ers played on Sunday. The offense came out with one of their best opening drives in recent memory despite the aforementioned hostile environment. And without one aberration on special teams — when the 49ers' usually outstanding kick coverage team gave up a TD to Allen Rossum — San Francisco would have been down just 10-9 going into the fourth quarter.

The way the offense moved the ball, they should have had more points. But they settled for one field goal after another and never regained the lead they grasped on that first drive and lost on Rossum's return. The defense kept the Steelers in check until the very end, when they finally wore down under the weight of an increasing deficit and the Steelers' strong offensive line.

But make no mistake. Despite what turned into a lopsided final score, this was not the Chiefs game or the Bears game or even the Chargers game of last season. This team was not completely outclassed and did not fold under the pressure of a noisy crowd and a long road trip. They were competitive and legitimately had a chance to win the game. They're obviously not quite on the same level as the Steelers, one of the top teams in the dominant AFC, but they're not so far off.

I LIKED WHAT I saw from Alex Smith in the waning moments. As soon as he threw his first interception of the season to Bryant McFadden, the game was over.

But he hustled and brought McFadden down with a physical tackle (albeit a yard into the end zone). He then came back and put together a nice drive that included a gutsy 25-yard run that more than doubled Gore's best effort of the day and culminated with his first touchdown pass of the season to Taylor Jacobs.

WITHOUT DISSECTING FILM like my esteemed colleague, Chris, it's hard to make an accurate assessment of any one player. But it sure looks like Derek Smith is a liability on defense. I've seen him miss critical tackles and be a step slow on some big pass plays, and with the improved level of talent on the field, these mistakes have become glaring.

I don't know for sure that Brandon Moore would do a better job, but I think the time might be coming to give him the chance.

As for the bigger linebacker concern of the day, it appeared as though Hannibal Navies did a decent job in place of Manny Lawson. He did get beat around the edge by Willie Parker (a play Lawson's speed probably would have negated) but he also sacked Ben Roethlisberger and forced a fumble early on, giving the 49ers great field position (which sadly turned into yet another field goal).

VERNON DAVIS HAD his best game of the season, catching four passes for 56 yards and having a big third-down conversion overruled in an odd call, but he left the game with a left knee sprain. Let's hope this minor injury doesn't turn out to be like the supposedly "minor" one Manny Lawson suffered in practice last week.