teaching opportunities.&quot

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hesitant to pose while around their more experienced teammates.
Then there are the youngsters, Iupati and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], 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.
The 49ers expected such periodic lapses when they chose to thrust [link widoczny dla zalogowanych],[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], who just turned 21, and Iupati, 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.
Still, [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] and Iupati have no plans to go easy on their study sessions.
"It's kind of glaring at times," Solari acknowledged.
That's two more wrinkles for the rookies.
Whenever right tackle [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] or left guard Mike Iupati 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
San Francisco 49ers linemen get on-the-job training

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.
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, Iupati and [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] ask questions they might be
"Each week, they're learning and growing," he said.
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 [link widoczny dla zalogowanych] and Iupati, but the deer-in-headlights look is fading.
"I think what they've learned is that, 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."
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.
Such mistakes are what Solari calls "teaching opportunities." The more cynical might call them "rookie gaffes."
[link widoczny dla zalogowanych] 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 been really helpful," Iupati said Wednesday. "We get some extra time, just going over different protections. We ask a lot of questions."
"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."