49ers must get production from Gore in Seattle this time

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To mangle a famous line from "The Brady Bunch": "Marshawn, Marshawn, Marshawn - all day long I hear how great Marshawn is at this or how wonderful Marshawn did that."

And Marshawn Lynch is wonderful. Even Jan Brady would agree. Vic Fangio, the 49ers' defensive coordinator, calls Lynch and Adrian Peterson the top two running backs in the league. Lynch mauls opponents, including the 49ers. And this week, in Seattle and San Francisco, much of the focus has been on how the 49ers can stop Beast Mode and his shower of Skittles.

But who is truly the most important running back in Sunday's NFC Championship Game?

It's the guy without the cool nickname. Without the candy connection. The player who seems to be universally written off year after year.

It's Frank Gore.

This isn't just a vote for sentimentality stemming from the 49ers' collective desire to get Gore back to a Super Bowl. To a man, they would love nothing better than to see Gore get the ball in critical moments - unlike last time - and let him carry them toward their sixth Lombardi Trophy. Gore is, without a doubt, the most popular man in the 49ers' building.

Frank Gore pounded his chest after his first half touchdown Sunday October 6, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif. The San Francisco 49ers vs the Houston Texans at Candlestick Park. Frank Gore pounded his chest after his first half touchdown Sunday October 6, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif. The San Francisco 49ers vs the Houston Texans at Candlestick Park. Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 49ers must get production from Gore in Seattle this time 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

But sentiment for the almost 31-year-old warrior aside, Gore is the most important back in Sunday's game.

All you need to do is look at the statistics from the 49ers' past four meetings with the rival Seahawks to verify that. While Lynch has been productive in all four games (rushing for 103, 111, 98 and 72 yards), the 49ers' reliance on Gore has been spotty.

In the games the 49ers have won, both at home, Gore has rushed for more than 100 yards. In the two games they have lost, both at CenturyLink Field, Gore has rushed for fewer than 30. Odd, considering the weather in those games, but the 49ers abandoned the run on both trips to the Northwest. In September's loss, he carried the ball nine times for just 16 yards. In December 2012, the 49ers gave him the ball only six times, and he gained 28 yards.

For the 49ers to win, they must turn to Gore.

"Yes, I would call that critical," Jim Harbaugh said.

To remind himself, all the coach needs to do is go back over the film from the 49ers' big win over Seattle at Candlestick in Week 14. While it's tough to say that one player single-handedly won the game, Gore came pretty close.

On first down in the 49ers' territory, with 4:21 left on the clock and the 49ers trailing by one, Gore popped a 51-yard run to put the 49ers in field goal range. That was crucial, but what he did after he ran 51 yards was even more important. He fell down. Inbounds. Keeping the clock running.

Harbaugh calls Gore a mystical man. He said it again this past week.

"I think he sees things that we don't see," Harbaugh said.

Certainly on that play in December, Gore fully grasped the entire situation. If the 49ers scored too soon, Seattle (and Lynch) would get the ball back with plenty of time. If he went out of bounds, the clock would stop, again potentially helping the Seahawks. His drop to the ground even fooled all the announcers, who were convinced that he must have pulled a hamstring during his sprint.

But no, he wasn't injured. Because there was Gore for the rest of the game, grinding down the clock as the 49ers set up and converted the game-winning field goal.

"Frank Gore had a great run the last time we played," Pete Carroll said this week. "They were running the ball OK in that game, they were competitive and all that, and then they busted one that changed the game. He's got as good a sense in the line of scrimmage as anybody that's playing the game."

His level of football intelligence is rare and revered. It's something his teammates see, but which the public might not grasp. When Gore comes to the podium after games or does an on-air interview, he isn't going to win any awards for captivating prose. But what he does say is always worth noting because he tells the truth and simplifies the game down to its core.

Lynch has the cool nickname and the Skittles and most of the attention leading up to the game. As usual, the 5-foot-9 third-round pick who has been a league fixture for so many years is almost an afterthought.

"I don't care," Gore said. "As long as we win and people respect my game - my peers who I play against, my coaches, my teammates - that's all I worry about."

Lately there's been growing talk about whether Gore is a Hall of Famer. He is putting together a remarkable, long career, rising from obscurity to the league's elite, and he will get consideration. A Super Bowl ring would certainly help his case.

No matter what, he is forever in his teammates' and coaches' Hall of Fame.

"Frank is one of the best human beings that I think I've ever been around," Patrick Willis said. "I can't say what a Hall of Famer is, but I can say this guy, as a person, is every bit that and more."