The words San Francisco 49ers offense and breakout performance seemed a perfect fit prior to kickoff of nearly every game this season.

A Week 12 matchup at home with the disaster that is the Washington Redskins would certainly qualify as well.

Right?

Entering 2014, the 49ers front office infused the existing championship-caliber roster with explosive talent on the offensive side of the ball.

General manager Trent Baalke signed veteran wideout Brandon Lloyd in free agency and traded for receiver Stevie Johnson.


He also selected both the best running back and one of the most underrated assets in the draft in Carlos Hyde and Bruce Ellington.

The 49ers added a viable deep threat, perennial 1,000-yard pass-catcher, future every-down rusher and a dynamic weapon with those four acquisitions.

Remember that this group already boasted two 1,000-yard receivers in Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin, an ageless back in Frank Gore and a double-digit touchdown machine at tight end in Vernon Davis.

Oh, and don’t forget an elite offensive line protecting Colin Kaepernick—a quarterback who could throw for 300 yards, rush for 100 and/or produce multiple touchdowns in any given week.

Heck, even Bruce Miller offers pass-catching versatility from the fullback position.

But then the actual season began.

The 49ers didn’t cross the 30-point threshold until Week 7 and haven’t done so over the past four games.

They committed four turnovers and managed just 20 points against the Chicago Bears’ shamefully bad 32nd-ranked scoring defense in Week 2.

They then sputtered to a meager 10-point showing versus the 25th-rated unit of the St. Louis Rams on Nov. 2.

And just last week Kaepernick and Co. produced all of one touchdown and three field goals against the New York Giants and their unimpressive No. 27 contingent.

By the sheer measure of time and opportunity, the 49ers should have lucked into a 40-point game or multiple 30-point outputs.

But they haven’t. They barely average three touchdowns per contest and rely entirely too much on the leg of Phil Dawson.

Their once league-best offensive line has also coughed up 32 sacks, third highest in the NFL.

All told, San Francisco ranks 18th in total yards, 20th with 21.1 points scored and 31st in red-zone touchdown percentage under offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

That includes zero touchdowns of any kind in the fourth quarter all season.

Even the Niners’ No. 7 rushing attack has crossed the goal line a mere five times this year.

And those are split between Gore and Hyde; Kaepernick has zero—the same guy who’s tallied nine over the past two seasons and another four in the playoffs.

The NFL is a numbers game, and the 49ers are simply due for a breakout performance when Washington travels to Levi’s Stadium.

The Redskins hold down the No. 24 spot with 25.6 points allowed per game. They’ve given up the fifth most pass plays of 20-plus yards (36) and fourth most touchdowns through the air (20).

Opposing quarterbacks have compiled the second highest passer rating (104.4) and have thrown the fewest interceptions (three) against this Jim Haslett-coached unit.

Washington does rank a legitimate No. 11 against the run. But surrendering 104.2 yards per contest doesn’t exactly inspire fear in opposing running backs.

So, for an eager fan base that craves some offensive fireworks at home, especially considering the 10-point embarrassment the last time around, the 49ers will finally oblige.

Hyde will rush for two scores, Kaepernick will throw for three more and Davis will notch his first touchdown since Week 1 on a downfield bomb against this vulnerable secondary.

Stevie Johnson and Anquan Boldin will corral the other touchdown passes and the 49ers as a whole will cash in on all four of their trips inside the red zone.

Do say hello the their first 40-point production in 2014.

Could this possibly be asking too much of a defensive-minded and offensively challenged club? Of course.

But if the 49ers seek an extended playoff run, let alone make the postseason at all, their offense must put it all together.

And versus a 3-7 Redskins team that’s one game away from packing it in for the season?

It starts now for the Red and Gold.