Niners Nation
Whisper it quietly, but in recent weeks there have been clear signs the 49er defense is improving as the regular season approaches its business end.
Indeed, the 49ers rank seventh in EPA per play on defense over the last three weeks as they have reeled off a hat-trick of wins to move to 9-4. While EPA as a metric does not encompass a unit’s entire performance — it is most closely linked to how often an offense or defense creates or prevents explosive plays — the fact the 49ers rank so highly over the last three weeks in a category in which they are 24th for the season as a whole is indicative of a marked improvement from Robert Saleh’s group.
Of course, some of the strides can be tied to the opponents faced. The Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns aren’t blessed with high-powered offenses, though the Rams may beg to differ in the case of Carolina, and San Francisco has taken advantage of favorable matchups in that sense.
But it would be unfair to discount the progress that has been made. It’s no surprise that Deommodore Lenoir has once again played at a very high level at corner, but Renardo Green’s success in avoiding a sophomore slump and the increasingly strong play from Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown at safety have each helped the secondary a much greater air of reliability.
The improvements made in the secondary have greatly aided those playing in front of them, and a defensive line that has for so long been anaemic in sack production since the season-ending injury to Nick Bosa has shown signs of life as a pass-rushing force.
San Francisco still has the worst pressure rate in the NFL, 14.4%, per Pro Football Reference, but the 49ers’ three sacks in the Week 13 win over the Cleveland Browns were the most they have had in a game since Week 2, when Bosa was still healthy.
Shedeur Sanders’ average time to throw of 3.2 seconds (per Sumer Sports) was clearly a contributing factor in the 49ers’ success in getting home against him. A rookie quarterback who struggled with decisiveness in college going against an improving secondary in difficult conditions is a combination always likely to lead to a profitable afternoon for a pass rush. However, there have been enough encouraging signs from the 49ers’ defensive linemen to indicate they could continue to produce down the stretch and into the postseason.
The 49ers are not going to be as good as they would be if Bosa were available but, by adding Clelin Ferrell and Keion White, they have removed some of the burden from Bryce Huff and added depth to the pass rush rotation.
Ferrell’s two sack performance against the Browns took him to four in as many games since rejoining the 49ers, while White has looked more at home with each week following his trade from the New England Patriots. White, per NextGen Stats,...
