Yes, the 49ers are going to keep pounding away with the running game. And, no, their paltry 21 rushing yards in Week 1 won’t change that.

“We’ll make some adjustments, but we’re still going to be stubborn,” coach Mike Singletary said Wednesday. “And we’re going to do what we do.”
Stubborn is a good way to describe the approach Sunday, when the 49ers kept slamming ball carriers into an Arizona defense that knew what was coming. The Cardinals greeted Frank Gore and Co. with a steady wave of run blitzes, limiting the 49ers to 0.8 yards per carry with nothing longer than 6 yards.
The 49ers held on for a 20-16 victory, but eight three-and-outs in 13 possessions prompted questions about whether the offense could use a few more surprises.
The Seattle Seahawks, who arrive for the 49ers’ home opener Sunday, own a DVD player or two. Chances are they’re going to notice the successful run-stuffing schemes the Cardinals used last weekend.
That’s fine, Singletary said.
The 49ers plan on doing the same thing, only better.
“We have to get back to the fundamentals up front and do the things that we know how to do,” Singletary said. “We just have to get back in sync.”
Singletary was critical of his offensive line after the Cardinals game, saying the 49ers “got our tails whipped up front.”
He took another jab at his blockers Wednesday. When asked if the team could have used a third tight end on the roster against Arizona, Singletary replied: “In any game, you’re going to lack something. In that game we lacked another offensive line.”
Meanwhile, in the locker room, offensive players seemed unfazed by the running commentary about the running game. They were quick to point out the only stat that mattered: The 49ers are 1-0.
No one seemed particularly bothered that a team that spent all summer touting the strength of its running game finished Week 1 with the lowest rushing total in the NFL. (Kansas City had the second-lowest total with 29 yards).
The 21 rushing yards against Arizona represented the 49ers’ lowest total ever in a victory.
Gore said the key part of that sentence is the last three words: in a victory.
“That’s all that matters,” Gore said. “If we keep winning, I don’t care how the rest of the stats go.”
The 49ers made no secret about being a running team, with offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye announcing during training camp that his goal was a 60-40 run-to-pass ratio. That explains why the Cardinals were ready for the 49ers with eight-man fronts, daring them to pass.
The 49ers indeed pulled it off, picking the right spots to air it out. Shaun Hill connected with Isaac Bruce for a 50-yard completion to set up the 49ers’ first touchdown. And Raye called 14 passing plays during an 80-yard drive to set up the second touchdown.
“We have to stay patient,” Hill said. “We know at some point in the game it is going to work. It is going to pay off.
“Even though we weren’t necessarily getting the yards we wanted to get, the pounding we inflicted on them helped us out on the drive in the fourth quarter. We were able to handle them up front and do anything we wanted to do. All it is is staying patient, staying the course, and things are going to work out.”
Left guard David Baas and right tackle Adam Snyder had rough games against Arizona, as Singletary has acknowledged. In practice this week, recently acquired Tony Pashos will get increased playing time and could push Snyder for playing time.
Pashos started all 16 games last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I just want to bring him in and see what he can do, see what he adds,” Singletary said. “At the same time, I’m very confident in Snyder. We’ll just see how that works itself out.”