49ERS COME LIMPING INTO SEASON OPENER.

Byline: Dennis Georgatos Associated Press 

Injuries forced a reshuffling of the offensive line. The quarterback was the leading rusher in the exhibition season and scoring proved to be the biggest problem for last year's top-scoring offense.

Steve Young insists there's nothing wrong with the San Francisco 49ers that regular-season play won't fix.

``Even if we had kind of exploded, I would feel the same way that I do right now,'' the 49ers quarterback said. ``Because the preseason can fake you out both ways, you know what I mean?

``I put more weight into how training camp went, and our precision and timing and things like that. Now, we need to go prove that we're right.''

San Francisco, which hosts New Orleans in a Sunday opener, struggled through a brutal training camp at Rocklin, where the oppressive heat sometimes forced the curtailment or cancellation of practices.

The team was besieged by injuries, especially to its corps of running backs and tight ends.

San Francisco will start the season without two key starters. Left tackle Kirk Scrafford tore connective tissue in his right foot and will miss the first seven games. Linebacker Gary Plummer could miss the first two games with a broken left wrist.

Kevin Mitchell, Plummer's backup the past two years, has stepped in to replace him. Scrafford's injury forced Ray Brown to move from left guard to tackle and Chris Dalman assumes Brown's old spot at guard.

However, tight end Brent Jones is expected to play after missing most of training camp with a hamstring strain. Long snapper Randy Kirk, who fractured a finger on his snapping hand, also is due back Sunday, a welcome development for punter Tommy Thompson and place-kicker Jeff Wilkins. Both kickers had tough exhibition seasons, in part because of erratic snapping in Kirk's absence.

Defensively, the 49ers ranked first in the league last year but lost Pro Bowl cornerback Eric Davis, who went to division rival Carolina as a free agent.

Tyronne Drakeford, the 49ers' nickel back last season, has replaced Davis. San Francisco also moved to strengthen its outside pass rush, signing ends Chris Doleman and Roy Barker to complement the inside tandem of Dana Stubblefield and Bryant Young. Pro Bowlers Tim McDonald and Merton Hanks return at the safeties. Also back from last year's big-play defense are cornerback Marquez Pope and linebackers Ken Norton and Lee Woodall.

Coach George Seifert said the defense might very well have to pick up the team if the offense continues to struggle.

``Have I suggested that they better play well early? Yeah, you bet. It's going to be very important for us,'' said Seifert, whose club opens the season by playing five straight divisional games.

Despite leading the league last season in points scored, San Francisco's offense emerged as the team's top concern heading into the season. The 49ers scored one touchdown in the final nine periods of exhibition play and were outscored 58-13 in the past two games, winding up 1-3, their first losing record since the 1990 exhibitions.

``We didn't finish drives and we set ourselves back with untimely penalties,'' said offensive coordinator Marc Trestman. ``But overall I don't feel we can be overly concerned or panic-stricken with what happens in the preseason. It's usually entirely different than the season.''

The 49ers, bidding for a sixth trip to the Super Bowl, went 11-5 last season before losing to Green Bay in a divisional playoff and the team set out during the offseason to restore balance to an offense ranked first in passing yardage and 23rd in rushing.

Bill Walsh, who installed the offensive system during his 10 years as 49ers coach, was brought back as an advisor to the coaching staff. Power runner Johnny Johnson was signed as a free agent, but back problems prevented him from playing during the exhibition games and he was released after the team acquired Terry Kirby in a trade with Miami.

Kirby, who could challenge incumbent halfback Derek Loville, sprained his ankle during last week's exhibition loss at Seattle and is questionable for Sunday's game.

Loville ran 13 times for 64 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. That's well above last season's average of 3.3, which was the worst among starting running backs.

Nevertheless, Young's 78 yards rushing led the team. Much of it came on scrambles, but he and backups Elvis Grbac and Jeff Brohm didn't get away all the time - San Francisco gave up 19 sacks in the last three exhibition games.

``The one guy in the offensive line you don't want to see go down for 15 weeks is Kirk Scrafford and when he did, boom, it's a huge adjustment,'' Young said.

Assuming they do, Young has Jerry Rice to throw to, along with J.J. Stokes, last year's top draft pick who has stepped in as the replacement for the retired John Taylor.

Fullback Tommy Vardell has solidified the backfield and William Floyd, sidelined since a severe knee injury last October, could be back by midseason.