In 2018, the San Francisco 49ers offense ranked 22nd in points per game and the defense 28th in points conceded per game. Looking from a high level, it would be fair to say of the two units (of which neither performed well), it would be the defense that let the team down more. Especially when you look at certain stats. The defense only achieving 0.4 takeaways per game, the worst in the NFL, for example.
How the Biggest Issue with the San Francisco 49ers Defense Was the Offense Putting Them in Poor Situations
Poor Field Position
Let’s delve a little bit deeper about where the 49ers struggled. They averaged 1.2 interceptions thrown per game and 0.8 fumbles lost per game. This ranks them last in the NFL for giveaways, averaging two per game. This is important for one main statistic, opponent starting field position. 49ers’ opponents started on average on the 31-yard line, which ranks them second behind the Buffalo Bills. As you can imagine, the closer your opponent starts to your end zone, the more likely you are to concede. Only two of the top 10 in this statistic went to the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots were seemingly able to overcome their opponents starting with good field position.
The Bright Spots on the 49ers Defense
It’s not to say the 49ers defense would have been great if they were put in better positions. However, as a defense, it’s hard to keep opponents out when the offense is giving the ball away to opponents in easy scoring positions. The 49ers defense, as a result, ranked a mediocre 13th in opponent yards per game. This could be a sign that the defense isn’t as bad as we think. More likely, it could be a byproduct of opponents not needing to gain as many yards to reach the end zone.
So let’s take a look at some stats that can’t be skewed by bad field position:
- San Francisco’s defenders only allowed 63.47 percent completion percentage, ranking 10th in the NFL.
- 49ers’ opponents only averaged 4.1 yards per carry on rushing plays, ranking them sixth in the NFL.
- In a similar vein, their opponents overall averaged 5.4 yards per play, ranking 10th in the NFL.
These are encouraging indicators and gives some hope that if the offense doesn’t put the defense in such poor positions, the defense might be able to perform. As such, the 49ers would be able to stay competitive in games that really got away from them last season. The return of Jimmy Garoppolo should help with this. Having three quarterbacks start games in one season doesn’t often pertain good offensive chemistry. Not to mention that the defense got much better in the off-season, with the additions of pass rushers Dee Ford and Nick Bosa, along with a veteran linebacker presence from Kwon Alexander. And drafting Deebo Samuel along with the signing of Tevin Coleman should add impact starters at skill positions on the offense.
Saleh the Scapegoat
If the 49ers struggle again this season, I think Kyle Shanahan will keep his job for one more year. The length of his contract gives him a longer leash than a lot of coaches are afforded. However, I could see defensive coordinator Robert Saleh out the door as a scapegoat if the defense again fails to perform. If this happens, I hope the 49ers have cleaned up the offense and that the defense is truly to blame. As it’s easy to see a situation where the offense could continue to put the defense in poor situations. In this case, Saleh would likely be made a scapegoat for what really would be a team effort at failure. However, let’s hope 12 months from now we are talking about how Defensive Player of the Year Dee Ford & MVP Jimmy Garoppolo just lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl victory and no scapegoats are needed. We can dream at least.
