49ers’ offensive line surprisingly sieve-like

Recommended Video:

Asked to account for the eight sacks the 49ers allowed in a 13-10 loss to the Rams on Sunday, left tackle Joe Staley cited St. Louis’ blitz-happy schemes.

However, fullback Bruce Miller offered a more accurate response when posed the same question. Miller said quarterback Colin Kaepernick became a backfield piñata because the 49ers were outmuscled rather than outschemed. That is, the Rams’ defensive line was just better than the 49ers’ offensive line.

“They do a good job of getting pressure and creating one-on-ones,” Miller said. “…When they create the one-on-ones, we have to win. They won more than we did.”

Indeed, after reviewing each of St.Louis’ eight sacks, it appeared only two of the takedowns could be credited to blitzes. The other six? A defensive lineman simply won his head-to-head matchup against an offensive lineman.

After defensive end Michael Brockers beat center Marcus Martin and dropped Kaepernick for St.Louis’ eighth sack in the fourth quarter, Fox analyst John Lynch was perplexed.

“This is really strange, because remember for years we’ve come in here and talked about the strength of this 49ers team being that offensive line,” Lynch said. “And they have been awful today.”

It hasn’t been only Sunday, when Martin, 20, made his NFL debut and surrendered at least two sacks. The 49ers have allowed 14 sacks in their past two games — that’s more than the 2014 total of nine teams — and have surrendered the third-most sacks (27) in the NFL.

What’s going on here? As Lynch noted, the 49ers’ offensive line has been held in high regard. However, its reputation has been built largely on its run-blocking prowess, thanks to road-grading guards Mike Iupati and Alex Boone and aggressive tackles in Staley and Anthony Davis.

St. Louis Rams' Aaron Donald celebrates after sacking San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick in 3rd quarter of Rams' 13-10 win during NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, November 2, 2014. less St. Louis Rams' Aaron Donald celebrates after sacking San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick in 3rd quarter of Rams' 13-10 win during NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, November 2, ... more Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close 49ers’ offensive line surprisingly sieve-like 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Meanwhile, the 49ers’ pass-blocking during the Jim Harbaugh era quietly has been rather middling. Consider this: From 2011 to 2013, the 49ers allowed the 11th-most sacks (124) in the NFL despite attempting the fewest passes in the league.

This season, they are throwing more. And Kaepernick is ducking more as a result.

After averaging 434.7 pass attempts in Harbaugh’s first three seasons, the 49ers are on pace to have 530 attempts this season. They are also on pace to allow 54 sacks, which would be one shy of the most surrendered in franchise history.

This, of course, gets back to what has been the most popular question surrounding the 49ers this season: What is their offensive identity?

With Kaepernick in his second full season as a starter, they clearly want to lean more heavily on him. And that makes sense given Kaepernick’s skills and supporting cast, which includes the best collection of pass catchers he has had since becoming the starter midway through the 2012 season.

A problem with the shift in philosophy is that the players up front are at their best when playing bully ball. The offensive line is adept at carrying out the team’s complex run schemes, but less accomplished at protecting Kaepernick.

Still, that can’t excuse Sunday’s face plant from a group that includes three first-round picks.

The sacks were the biggest reason St.Louis handed the 49ers their first divisional loss at home since 2008. A sack that resulted in a lost fumble led to the Rams’ lone touchdown, another took the 49ers out of field-goal range and a third forced Phil Dawson to attempt a 55-yard field goal that fell short just before halftime.

On Monday, ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer, a former 49ers quarterback, said the offensive line is too talented to turn in such a performance.

“I don’t know what the disconnect is, but they’re not getting the most from those players,” Dilfer said on 95.7 FM. “Part of that burden is on them, part of that burden is on the coaching staff and part of it probably falls into trying to do too much” offensively.

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch

Young on 49ers: They looked broken

Steve Young had an up-close look at the 49ers on Sunday.

And the Hall of Fame quarterback and ESPN analyst, an unabashed fan of his former team, didn’t like what he saw.

The 49ers’ offensive execution, of course, was unsightly in a 13-10 loss to the Rams at Levi’s Stadium. However, Young, who has often hailed the team’s locker-room leadership in the Jim Harbaugh era, was most disturbed by the players’ body language and lack of passion.

“They looked broken,” Young said Monday on ESPN Radio in New York, “and I can’t figure that out.”

Young was on the sideline for part of the game to honor former head coach George Seifert, who was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on Saturday and recognized at halftime Sunday.

“So I stood right by the team,” Young said. “It was right before halftime and afterward. And I remember calling to my security guy that I’ve known for years and years, Jeff Rodriguez. I said, 'Jeff, something’s wrong with these guys. There’s a bad vibe. Guys on and off the field.’ … A lot of complaining, a lot of moaning coming off the field.”

In the locker room, left tackle Joe Staley appeared to place blame on the players and coaching staff when asked about the offensive performance: “Penalties. Dumb blocks. Dumb techniques. Dumb schemes,” Staley said.

Running back Frank Gore suggested that the 49ers need to pick an offensive identity and stick with it after he and Carlos Hyde combined for 16 carries. “We’ve just got to make our minds up, do what we feel we’re good at, and go do it,” he said.

Asked Monday about Staley’s assessment, Harbaugh said he didn’t want to comment on such “talk” until he met with the team Tuesday. The purpose of that meeting?

“We discuss where we’re at, what we can learn from what we did and where we’re going,” Harbaugh said.

For his part, Young agrees that the 49ers (4-4), who already have matched the most losses in a season during the Harbaugh era, need to figure out where they’re headed.

“There’s really nothing to really put my finger on other than sometimes teams just get lost,” Young said. “I walked away yesterday saying, 'Boy, that team is not even close to what ... they were the last couple years. Ready to take things on deep into January.’”

— Eric Branch

Dubious distinction

The 49ers are on pace to allow 54 sacks, which would be just shy of a franchise record. A look at the most sacks allowed in franchise history:

2007 55

2008 55

1998 53

2004 52

2005 48