SANTA CLARA (Calif.) — Sunday’s wild card game against the Dallas CowboysIt seemed that the final moments of the day were rapidly passing, but a sense of calm persisted. San Francisco 49ers‘ sideline.
From receiver, four possessions Deebo SamuelThe Niners’ offense was on a 26-yard touchdown run. It went punt. interception. punt. punt. Six points had been lost. But San Francisco’s offense didn’t seem to be in any panic about moving past the Cowboys into the NFL’s divisional playoff rounds.
What is the reason for this relative sideline serenity in football? The defense was once more proving that it was capable of holding its own against the NFL’s highest scoring offense.
“Those guys did their part,” quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said. “That’s why we felt so in control of this game. They were a good offensive and kept them under control throughout the game. It was truly impressive.”
DeMeco Ryans, 49ers’ defensive coordinator, and his team did a remarkable job against the Cowboys in a 23-17 win. This was despite the high stakes of this matchup and the quality of their opponent. Ryans’ defense kept Dallas to 17 points, 307 yards, and 4.4 yards per game, which is well below the season averages of 31.2 and 407 respectively. Despite the defensive end, the 49ers managed it. Nick Bosa(concussion), missing the second-half and linebacker Fred WarnerDue to an ankle injury, I had to leave early in the fourth-quarter.
The 49ers defense proved that it is a dominant team capable of serving as the core of a legitimate contender to the NFC championship.
“The defense have been playing pretty much lights-out for the whole of the year,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “I don’t believe we would be where are today if our defense was just average. For us to be great, we must have a great defense.
Robert Saleh has been fired as coordinator of the offseason. New York JetsRyans was a new defensive coordinator and head coach. There were always learning curves. There were some bumps in the road, such as a Week-3 loss to Green Bay. The Packers had just 37 seconds to score a field goal. They also won a last-second 30-28 victory.
Ryans settled down since then, finding a better rhythm to disguise coverages and mix calls. San Francisco was third in the NFL for yards per game (310), sixth for yards per play (5.11), sixth for passing yards per game (206.5), and seventh overall in rushing yards per game (103.5).
The team did this by using a lot more zone coverage and relying heavily on the front four to put pressure on the quarterback. San Francisco used zone coverage on 66.1% snaps, which was third in the NFL. They also held opposing quarterbacks to a QBR 41.5 (14th).
Ryans was like Saleh before him. He had a better idea of when to rush and would often choose to let his front four do most of the passing-rushing damage. The Niners had 48 sacks for the season, which tied them fifth in league. This is the same number as they had in 2019, when their defensive line was considered to be one of the most dangerous in league. San Francisco was third in sacks/drop back (7.7%), first for forced fumbles (22), and fifth in pass rush win rates (45.9%).
Ryans has a gift for dialing up the right blitzes at just the right moment. Ryans did this against the Cowboys, sending the house to the quarterback Dak PrescottTo force a deep fourth down incompletion within less than 2 minutes.
Kyle Shanahan, coach, said that DeMeco had been “unbelievable” throughout the year. “I thought DeMeco did an amazing job today mixing it all up and calling it zero.” [blitz]There is the fourth and final down.”
Prescott was the worst opponent he has ever faced, with Prescott playing zone on 82%. He had a QBR score of 23 and averaged just 4.5 yards per return, which was his second-lowest season according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
The Niners also had 22 pressures and five sacks, in addition to keeping Cowboys from running. Ezekiel ElliottUp to 31 yards for 12 rushes. Since Bears quarterback, San Francisco hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher. Justin FieldsHalloween was the perfect occasion.
Ryans asked his lineman to make that subtle, but effective personnel decision. Arik ArmsteadAfter completing the course, you can play full-time as a defensive tackle Javon KinlawSeason-ending knee surgery.
“He’s the most crucial piece of this team to me,” defensive tackle D.J. Jones said. “I believe Arik Armstead to be a powerful force. He can play outdoors, inside… he is a Swiss Army knife.
This week, things won’t get easier Aaron RodgersThe Packers and the Packers are next on the agenda (8:15 pm). ET Saturday, Fox). It would be difficult to find a defense with more confidence that the Niners.
“We went in there, and did what we had to do,” no safety Jimmie WardAfter beating the Cowboys, said he. “Stop the running, force them to be one-dimensional, and then see if Prescott is able to win the game for them.”
Prescott’s failure was the 49ers defense.