Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers defense has returned to dominance seven weeks into the season, where they stand with a 5-2 record atop the NFC West.
That has come, despite the 49ers losing stars Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the season, while dealing with various injuries and starting multiple first and second-year players. San Francisco currently ranks seventh in the NFL in points allowed per game (19.7 points), and just held an Atlanta Falcons offense to 10 points last weekend.
This offseason, the 49ers elected to let go of several veteran starters, relying on the draft to replace the missing pieces. That created an even bigger challenge for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was brought back after a stint as the New York Jets head coach.
Seven weeks into the season, that move has proved to be the 49ers’ best move of the offseason. And the players know it.
“Saleh is the best signing we’ve ever had,” star tight end George Kittle said after last Sunday’s win, via The Athletic’s Mike Silver. “I’ve been saying that since OTAs. It’s not just how smart he is, but his juice. He’s inspirational. He’s great in meetings. His energy is infectious, every single day. And he gets our young guys ready.”
However, a familiar face does not mean the same defense. In fact, fullback Kyle Juszczyk shared that Saleh’s defense looked as evolved as ever this offseason.
“What I noticed during training camp is that yes, Saleh’s back, but his defense couldn’t be more different than when he was here before,” Juszczyk said, via Silver. “It’s evolved so much. It’s not just ‘rush four and play Cover 3 behind it.’ He mixes up looks more, he disguises things and he blitzes more. And it’s totally working.”
“Everybody knows Saleh is a great coach,” safety Ji’Ayir Brown added. “The intensity he brings, the attitude, and the IQ of the game — what he brings to the organization is huge. You’ll never go into any game with the same game plan (as previously used). He knows the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and figures out how to attack them.”
After this season, Saleh is bound to get head coaching interviews once again. But, in the meantime, the 49ers will look to capitalize on every advantage that Saleh can provide for the defense. It was meant to be a ‘gap’ year for San Francisco as they developed young talent and got a cleaner cap sheet, while rewarding their top players with extensions.
But, Saleh’s brilliance as a defensive coordinator, paired with Kyle Shanahan’s offensive mind, has given the 49ers arguably the best coaching duo in the NFL this season. That has allowed the team to remain as one of the NFL’s best despite a long injury sheet. Now, with players hopefully getting healthier sooner rather than later, as well as the trade deadline coming up, San Francisco should be getting reinforcements for a second-half push.
If the team is to exceed expectations, Saleh will very well play...
