Mike Johnson

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Then there are the youngsters, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] and Davis, who are trying to be the first set of rookie offensive linemen to start for a playoff team since the New York Jets featured center Nick Mangold and left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson in 2006.
Davis provided a few too many "teaching opportunities" against St. Louis last week, committing a holding penalty that negated a touchdown and struggling for much of the day against Rams defensive end Chris Long.
"It's kind of glaring at times," Solari acknowledged.
The 49ers hope the lessons sink in fast, in part because of other cracks up front. Left tackle Joe Staley, the longest tenured starter on the offensive line, will be out at least a month with a broken left leg. Barry Sims or Adam Snyder will start at left tackle for the first time this season against the Bucs.
The team is trying to help them age prematurely. As the 49ers prepare to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Candlestick Park, the rookies will continue to meet with Solari for an extra hour each day after the rest of the linemen have gone home.
San Francisco 49ers linemen get on-the-job training
It's a private session, just the three of them. Solari will pop in a game film and quiz the youngsters about what they see on screen. In turn, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] and Davis ask questions they might be
David Baas is already filling in for center Eric Heitmann (broken leg, neck injury). Right guard Chilo Rachal was on the bench at the outset of last week's game after missing the final two practices to attend the birth of his second child.
Still, Davis and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] have no plans to go easy on their study sessions.
"It's been really helpful," [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] said Wednesday. "We get some extra time, just going over different protections. We ask a lot of questions."
Whenever right tackle Anthony Davis or left guard [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] makes a mistake, a ritual plays out along the 49ers sideline. The rookies will seek out offensive line coach Mike Solari to offer a detailed report on what went wrong. The more technical the explanation, the more Solari likes it.
"I think what they've learned is that,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], to be a pro, you have to take the game home with you," Solari said. "You have to become a student of the game -- that's what the great ones do."
The 49ers expected such periodic lapses when they chose to thrust Davis, who just turned 21, and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], 23, into the starting lineup back in training camp. But the coaches are betting their playoff hopes that the rookies' good will soon outweigh their bad -- which is saying something considering they weigh 654 combined pounds.
Oh, and the offensive line will be protecting a quarterback making just his third 49ers start (Troy Smith) and working for an offensive coordinator who took over in Week 4 (Mike Johnson).
Solari said the most encouraging part of the rookies' lapses is that they can identify and articulate the problem during their sideline conversations. Sometimes, Solari already knows the answer; sometimes he really is counting on the rookies for a diagnosis.
"It changes things tremendously," Solari said. "There are changes in the cadence of the play call, the way the quarterback orchestrates the offense, the timing.
That's two more wrinkles for the rookies.
A week after facing an aggressive Rams defense, the 49ers offensive line might be able to take a breath. The Buccaneers rank last in the NFL with eight sacks and rank 31st in the NFL in rushing defense.
Such mistakes are what Solari calls "teaching opportunities." The more cynical might call them "rookie gaffes."
Solari said the tutoring sessions help prepare the young players for what he calls "un-scouted looks" -- the times when an opponent throws a surprise into their scheme on gameday. Such situations used to rattle Davis and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but the deer-in-headlights look is fading.
"Each week, they're learning and growing," he said.
"The linemen get used to a common voice. But (the change) can't be a cop-out. You learn to get better the more you work with that player, and you start working together as a unit."
hesitant to pose while around their more experienced teammates.