San Francisco 49ers: The good, bad, and ugly in week two win over Lions
By Kevin Saito
Uglier: Defense Gets Torched
While the offense seemed to find a smooth rhythm and groove against Detroit, the same can’t be said for the defense.
For the second consecutive week, San Francisco’s defense got lit up. Fortunately, the offense was able to bail them out this time, by scoring enough points to lock down the win. But, that is not a recipe for success in the long-term.
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The 49ers defense gave up 343 yards to Minnesota – 227 passing, 116 on the ground. It’s understandable, even forgivable, given the fact that the Vikings offense could be one of the better units this season.
Against the Lions though – not exactly a team brimming with offensive weaponry – San Francisco’s defense got torched to the tune of 427 yards. Stafford threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, while they racked up 98 yards on the ground.
After two games, the 49ers have the league’s twenty-third ranked defense – and twentieth scoring defense. Their pass defense ranks twenty-fifth, and their run defense slots in better – but, not great – at nineteenth.
It’s two games, and the sample size is small, to be sure. However, it’s a disturbing trend to watch beginning to unfold. The lack of pressure, plus not so great play in the secondary, is putting a lot more pressure on Garoppolo and the offense to keep scoring.
Robert Saleh needs to get this defense locked down, and the team needs guys to step up and make plays.