Has the 49ers’ elite defense been eclipsed by their offense?

967sportsof December 9, 2023

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The San Francisco 49ers offense was off to a bad start during the opening fifteen minutes of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

After a savage first quarter, the Niners had 0 points, minus-6 yards, and no first downs. The defense was put in charge of keeping the score close, something they were used to by this point.

Once more, the defense held the Eagles to only six points in the opening quarter. However, even if Philadelphia had scored touchdowns rather than two field goals, there was a pervasive feeling on San Francisco’s sideline that an offensive onslaught was inevitable.

Entering the league in 2019, defensive end Nick Bosa stated, “I’ve never had this much confidence in the offense.” “We are aware that eventually they will succeed.

With touchdowns on each of the following six Niners possessions, they increased their lead to 9-3 ahead of Sunday’s game against the 6-6 Seattle Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET, Levi’s Stadium, Fox). This confidence was rewarded with a commanding 42-19 victory. The 49ers are as balanced as they have ever been seven years into the Kyle Shanahan era, which is the foundation of Bosa’s unwavering faith in his offensive counterparts.

Not that the Niners haven’t been successful offensively under Shanahan. They have, most notably during their Super Bowl run in 2019. However, the data and eye test indicate that during the Niners’ winning streak since that 2019 campaign, the defense has carried out a greater amount of the heavy work.

The Niners’ offense, which is just as good as their defense, has allowed them to win nine games this season, averaging 20.4 points per game. Possibly even more so.

The ascent to the top of numerous offensive metrics started to simmer in the aftermath of the Niners’ acquisition of Christian McCaffrey, a running back, and Brock Purdy’s quarterbacking replacement. In terms of scoring, yards, and offensive efficiency, San Francisco placed fifth at the end of 2022. They had not placed so highly in any of those categories since 2019 and had never placed among the top five in the EPA.

“I think you guys could see once we got on that roll, the way we went into the playoffs last year, the way we did in the playoffs, too, that things were a little bit different,” Shanahan stated. We all experienced that last year, I believe. We have this unique bunch of guys, in my opinion, who never stop working hard and holding each other accountable for everything. For a little while now, I believe they have been performing incredibly well.”

The Niners’ rise to the top of the offensive rankings may be attributed to a number of factors, as Shanahan highlights. They finally had the kind of adaptable, three-down standout at running back in McCaffrey. The passing game has gained something missing thanks to Purdy’s ability to dish the ball to his numerous playmakers while moving it down the field.

Above all, the Niners possess continuity, a vital asset that is becoming more and more scarce in the NFL. Shanahan’s offense has featured core players for more than three years, including fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end George Kittle, receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, left tackle Trent Williams, and others. Purdy and McCaffrey have shown themselves to be quick learners who give the plan instant comfort.

“I think the No. 1 thing for this year is that we have a veteran offense,” Kittle stated. “We are aware of Kyle’s desires. Kyle does a great job of positioning his players for success since he is aware of our talents. I think there’s less confusion if you’ve been on this offense for a while and understand it. Because they’ve been in it for a while, everyone is just sort of on it. And I believe that’s a major contributing factor to the effectiveness you’re witnessing.”

It doesn’t hurt that a galaxy of star power complements that continuity, forcing opposing defenders to choose their poison moment by moment.

“I feel like when you are out there against all the guys that we have on offense, you have to defend the whole field,” Samuel stated.

Even though San Francisco’s defense is still among the best in the league in many categories (they rank second in opponent yards allowed (298.4), fifth in points per game allowed (15.8), and defensive efficiency percentage (44.18), the goal has always been to assemble a well-rounded team that can play the complementary football that leads to decisive wins.

The offensive upsurge has also altered Shanahan’s and the Niners’ weekly game plans. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Shanahan primarily rely on the run game in previous seasons in an attempt to reduce turnovers. The 49ers were able to accomplish that because they possessed a strong defense that in four of the previous five seasons has finished no worse than ninth in points allowed, sixth in yards allowed, or eighth in defensive efficiency.

This strategy was most famously used by the Niners against the Green Bay Packers in the 2019 NFC Championship Game. Raheem Mostert, the team’s running back, went wild, attempting just six throws and trusting that the defense would shut them down regardless of offensive production.

“I think as the defense sees us be a little bit more explosive and score a little bit more points, it gives them a little bit more confidence that they can have setbacks,” Shanahan stated. “And they feel they’ve got another side of the ball that can catch up if they aren’t perfect.”

Shanahan has set goals for the following day at the final squad meeting the night before games for most of the previous five seasons. Shanahan would frequently advise his offense that they would most likely have won the game if they could get to thirty or more carries.

Although the Niners still rely a lot on the run, the offense has advanced to the point where those particular rush attempt criteria no longer exist.

Juszczyk stated, “We don’t ever talk about that now.” “We actually don’t because our offense is so well-balanced right now, with Brock, Deebo, Brandon, Christian, and George playing as they do. We’re just more balanced, and it seems different than it has in previous years because we can be so successful in both the run and pass games.”