Niners Nation
Statistics can help paint a picture of a team’s success. The eye test and statistics should complement each other and not contradict one another. Then there is the case of the 2025 San Francisco 49ers. Bottom line, being one of six NFL teams with a 3-0 record is all that matters. It doesn’t matter how you win; it only matters if you win.
No NFL season is perfect. Each team has something it needs to improve on. The 49ers are no different. Here are the biggest trends the 49ers need to flip in 2025.
Red Zone Offense
Kyle Shanahan and the offense are missing valuable pieces. Without Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jauan Jennings, the 49ers’ offense is reliant on two offensive weapons in Christian McCaffrey and Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers offense has visited the red zone 11 times and scored five touchdowns for a 45.5% clip. That number is more in line with the 2024 49ers, who struggled to convert in the red zone.
Sitting at 24th in the NFL in red zone percentage isn’t the bounce back the team hoped for in 2025. Hopefully, with the return of offensive firepower, the trend will change as the games become more important.
Rushing Offense
Through three weeks, the 49ers haven’t scored a rushing TD. That can’t continue. San Francisco and Miami are tied at 26th in the NFL with 269 rushing yards. The difference is that Miami has 30 fewer rushes than the 49ers, and the 49ers are rushing for 3.3 per attempt to Miami’s 5.2 per attempt.
The most troubling factor is the 49ers’ offensive line as run blockers. The offensive line sits at 31st in stuffed run rate (30.5%) and 29th in run block win rate (67%). According to Pro Football Reference, the 49ers are second-to-last in the NFL in expected points contributed by rushing offense with a -16.35 mark. Brian Robinson has the longest run of the season for 19 yards. The 49ers’ passing offense leads the league with 814 passing yards, but the offense needs more balance.
Special Teams
This isn’t about the kicker or punter. Both of those positions are locked in and safe. However, Brant Boyer was brought in to overhaul and fix the special teams unit in 2025. Different coordinator, same result for the 49ers’ special teams. Right now, the 49ers’ special teams unit ranks 28th in the NFL in DVOA.
Skyy Moore fielding a punt up against his own goal line was almost disastrous. The coverage and return teams have to be better before a costly mistake happens at a critical moment. One has to wonder why the 49ers’ special teams continues to be so bad, when a net-zero unit would be a huge boost to the team.
Zero Interceptions on Defense
The 49ers are third in the NFL with 49 points allowed. As a passing defense, the team ranks fifth in the NFL with 486 passing yards allowed. With only 162 passing yards allowed per game, the 49ers’ secondary...
