Although the Niners' offensive numbers improved significantly during Mike Martz's short-lived stint as the team's offensive coordinator, none of the contributors put up much of a fuss when head coach Mike Singletary opted to cut the cord with the "Greatest Show on Turf" architect and replace him with Jimmy Raye, whose NFL résumé isn't nearly as well-regarded.

That's certainly the case with featured back Frank Gore, who up to now appears to be finding Raye's work-in-progress offense right up his alley.

"With Martz, we were more finesse, throw the ball deep, get outside," the 26-year-old Gore said in early June. "This (Raye's offense) is more running with my shoulders squared up, a lot of power, a lot of downhill plays. Let me just pick a hole and go."

In other words, Raye's offense reminds Gore of the 2006 Niners offense coordinated by current Chargers head coach Norv Turner. That offense featured a steady diet of straight-ahead power counter runs by Gore, who rushed for more yards than any other running back in team history after starting off the '06 campaign as a second-teamer.

Could history repeat itself three years later? 

It certainly won't hurt that many of the holes the crafty Gore chooses to run through figure to be cleared by FB Moran Norris, who was directly responsible for more than a few of the 1,695 rushing yards Gore compiled in his breakthrough '06 fantasy campaign, which was further embellished by nine touchdowns (eight rushing) and nine 100-yard games.

In his two previous years with the Niners, Norris became best buddies with Gore off the field while providing consistently solid blocking for him on the field. But Martz, who seldom had much use for bone-crunching fullbacks in his freewheeling, pass-oriented offense, sent Norris packing before the '08 season.

After spending last season with the last-place Lions, Norris is back in the Bay Area after signing a three-year deal in late February, much to the delight of Gore, who likens the 31-year-old fullback to a big brother.

As well as a big security blanket.

"If he does something wrong, I give him a look," Gore said of Norris. "If I do something wrong, he gives me a look. I know his technique and how he blocks."

There is a school of thought this season that the Niners will go out of their way to preserve Gore, whose numbers both rushing and receiving have steadily declined the past couple of seasons. With nagging injuries forcing Gore to miss a combined three games in '07 and '08, the team would love for promising rookie Glen Coffee to share the team's rushing load much more effectively than the departed DeShaun Foster.

But as far as Gore is concerned, the more touches he gets the merrier.

"I don't think we'll be rotating," Gore said of a potential partnership in the Niners' backfield with Coffee, who created a steady buzz in this offseason's minicamps and OTAs. "I feel like the more I'm in the game, the more I touch the ball, the better player I am."

While Raye's offense promises to be much more basic than Martz's version, with primary emphasis being placed on the ground game, daily team observers so far this offseason have been surprised by its creativity, with the passing game so far looking sharper than the running attack.

Increased involvement for Gore as a featured receiver out of the backfield in Raye's offense could become a steadily rowing trend. He's feeling healthy, and with Norris back by his side, he has never been happier.

If Gore can stay healthy and other new Niners blockers in addition to Norris — like fellow free-agent newcomer Marvel Smith, the projected starter at right tackle — do a better job this season of opening holes, the same could be said about his fantasy owners this coming season. Especially in yardage leagues.

Kickoff is coming! Be sure to buy copies of the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports 2009 NFL preview magazine, as well as the Pro Football Weekly/Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football Guide 2009, both of which are now available at bookstores, newsstands and retail outlets where magazines are sold. Or order your copies online at PFWStore.com