San Francisco 49ers Can Ride Complete Defense To Deep Playoff Run

For a long time during the Kyle Shanahan era, the San Francisco 49ers defense has been viewed as one that relies on its pass rush over the coverage provided by those in the defensive backfield. After the Niners’ dominant defensive showing against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4, it is clear the front and the secondary have equal importance to the success of defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ group.

Save for a Week 1 collapse in a monsoon against the Chicago Bears, the 49er defense has been phenomenal through four weeks of the season, conceding just one touchdown since the 19-10 defeat at Soldier Field.

The 49ers are conceding just 3.81 yards per play, the fewest in the NFL, while they rank first in Expected Points Added per play on defense, per rbsdm.com, and also lead the league in Football Outsiders DVOA on defense.

Simply put, by every measure, the 49ers boast the best defense in the league, with the talent they possess at each level helping Ryans’ unit deliver play no other team in the NFL can match at this point in the campaign.

The 49ers’ front, even with Javon Kinlaw out with a knee injury and Arik Armstead battling a foot issue, bullied a banged-up Rams offensive line, with five different players combining to record seven sacks. Pro Football Focus credited Nick Bosa, who along with Samson Ebukam finished with two sacks, with a remarkable 14 pressures.

While the Niners are renowned for being able to get home with just four pass rushers and relying on their secondary to produce effective zone coverage, Ryans was aggressive in how he attacked the Rams’ depleted O-Line, blitzing more regularly and leaning on the defensive backfield to hold up in man coverage when he did.

Though Cooper Kupp racked up 14 catches for 122 yards, the secondary succeeded in standing firm, corners Charvarius Ward, Emmanuel Moseley and Deommodore Lenoir frequently providing excellent coverage, as did Fred Warner in yet another all-action performance from the All-Pro linebacker.

Ward’s arrival, combined with the emergence of second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga, who delivered the knockout blow against Los Angeles with his fourth-quarter pick-six of Stafford, have had the most significant impact on the progress of the defense.

Former Kansas City Chief Ward gives the 49ers the flexibility to excel playing both man and zone and has allowed a completion percentage of just 47.1, per Pro Football Reference, with his passer rating allowed of 35.4 the fourth-best among all cornerbacks.

Hufanga, meanwhile, offers the 49ers a true playmaker at every level of the defense and is quickly establishing himself as one of the better safeties in the league.

In essence, the 49ers have a lot more strings to their bow than simply a fearsome pass rush. This is a defense that has no obvious holes and a plethora of weapons with which to hurt opposing offenses.

No defense has been better or more complete than that of the 49ers through four weeks and, even at this early stage, it is easy to envision it being a unit that carries San Francisco deep into the postseason.