The reigning NFC rushing champion has mostly been contained during San Francisco's first three games as the team's struggling offense has sunk to the bottom of the NFL rankings.

The 49ers still have managed a 2-1 record to take into Sunday's battle with Seattle for first place in the NFC West, but Gore is upset that he and the offense aren't doing their part.

"We won two games and the offense has done nothing," Gore said yesterday. "We just have to start making plays. Running the ball, throwing the ball everything. It's on us. We're not doing what it takes to get to the next level right now as an offense."

After recording a team-record nine 100-yard games last year, Gore still is looking for his first breakout game of 2007 one month into the season. This could be the week he finds it.

Gore rushed for 356 yards in two games against Seattle last year, including a team-record 212 yards when the Seahawks visited San Francisco last November. His efforts led to two of the 49ers' biggest wins of 2006 and a season sweep of the three-time defending NFC West champions.

"We got big runs on them," Gore said. "They couldn't stop me in the open field. We know we can do it because we did it before. We just have to get on the same page and put it all together. It's going to happen."

It hasn't been happening for Gore or the San Francisco offense so far this season. Gore was limited to just 39 yards rushing on 14 carries during last week's loss at Pittsburgh, his lowest total in the 20 games he has started since entering the NFL two years ago.

Gore rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns to spark the 49ers in their Week 2 victory at St. Louis, but otherwise he has found the going tough since the season began.

After leading the NFC and finishing third in the NFL last season with a franchise-record 1,695 yards rushing, Gore is currently 11th in the NFC and 24th in the league with 175 yards. He's averaging only 3.4 yards per carry after averaging 5.4 per carry last season — the best average among the 23 NFL running backs that gained 1,000 or more yards.

With opposing defenses stacking the box to stop Gore, San Francisco's offense failed to produce 200 yards in either of the team's first two games. The 49ers had 289 yards against Pittsburgh to climb from last to 31st in the NFL rankings this week in total offense.

"Our defense has been playing great ball, but we have to help out," Gore said. "We just have to keep pushing, keep working, get an extra push, do extra. The only way I see this team doing better this year is the offense has to play better. If we don't play better, man, it's going to be real tough for us."

Coach Mike Nolan understands his star running back's frustration. But that's something that goes both ways, Nolan said. He thinks it's only a matter of time before Gore and the offense get on track.

"I know there's a lot of frustration in the Seattle locker room, too, when they were talking about Frank," Nolan said.

TIGHT END BY COMMITTEE: The 49ers don't have a replacement for injured tight end Vernon Davis, who will miss the next two games with ligament damage in his right knee.

They have two. Delanie Walker and Billy Bajema will share the duties with Davis out, and both bring a different skill set to the position.

"I guess I'm thought of as more of a blocker guy and Delanie's thought of more of as a receiver," said Bajema, who started six games in two-tight end formations last season but didn't catch a pass. "But we both feel like we can do either one, and together we'll go in there, pick up the slack and handle whatever they ask us to do."

Walker and Bajema each have started one game this season in two-tight end formations with Davis, and they very well could do it together against the Seahawks.

Walker, a converted college wide receiver who also returns kickoffs, ranks fifth on the team with three receptions and has shown some big-play capability. Walker says he can bring a different dimension to the passing game than Davis, who had four receptions for 56 yards against the Steelers last week before he was injured in the third quarter.

"I'm more a receiver and the coaches know I've got that receiver mentality," Walker said. "I run better routes, and when I get the ball I'm going to get yards after the catch, and that's what I do well. With me and Billy, I'm pretty sure it's going to be like having Vernon out there anyway."

EXTRA POINTS: Nolan sent a postcard of thanks to former 49ers players Jimmy Johnson, Dave Wilcox, Len Rohde and Ed Beard, who flew to Dallas earlier this week to visit Nolan's father Dick at a care facility. Dick Nolan, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, was head coach of the 49ers from 1968-1975. All four of the 49ers luminaries played for Dick Nolan, with Johnson and Wilcox later reaching the Hall of Fame. "My father kind of lit up when he saw them," Mike Nolan said, "and he doesn't do that very often. I thought that was kind of neat and I want to tell them thanks."