David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Shanahan: ‘Doing things better,’ not tweaks, will lead to an improved 49ers defense
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The 49ers had their first game of the season Sunday against the Lions, and it was DeMeco Ryans' first game as the defensive coordinator for the 49ers.
Ryans, who was promoted after former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh became the head coach of the New York Jets, made the impression this offseason that he wanted the team to be ultra-aggressive, beginning with the defensive line.
And that was the case Sunday, as four different 49ers (DT Kentavious Street, DE
Nick Bosa, DE
Arik Armstead, and DE Dee Ford) racked up at least five pressures, with Armstead leading the way at 9 total for the game.
However, with the positives came some work to improve on, as the 49ers allowed 116 rushing yards, with most of the damage coming along the interior.
When head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked after the game about what he saw from DeMeco Ryans and what needed to be tweaked with the defense, Shanahan pointed out the rushing aspect and players not being in the proper spots, allowing the backs to enter the second and third levels of the defense.
"I think DeMeco will tell you the same thing," Shanahan said. "It's not as much about tweaking things. It's about doing things better. There's a number of things that we've done here, going into our fifth year in a row, early in that game, especially those three runs up the middle. Just a couple of guys not being in the right gap. And it wasn't one culprit. It was three different guys from three different plays."
On Detroit's first touchdown drive of the game, running back Jamaal Williams had a 20-yard rush up the middle, which pushed the Lions forward en route to a touchdown.
Then, on the next drive, De'Andre Swift had consequent rushes of 16 and 15 yards, setting Detroit up for a field goal, keeping them within reach at 14-10.
"I think they had like 110 yards rushing, and I think they got 60-something yards on three of the same play, which were all very similar," Shanahan said. "That's more just you've got to tie 11 guys together to stop the run, and when one guy gets out, it's going to get [to] Jimmie Ward real quick, if that's the middle-third player. You're just hoping he can save a touchdown."
Jimmie Ward, who played well Sunday, got beat on a 1-on-1 tackling opportunity during De'Andre Swift's 43-yard touchdown, which came from a screen pass.
"Three of those really hurt," Shanahan added. "Just a couple of mistakes there at the end of the game that allowed them to get some quick points and stuff. But stuff that we've got to get better at in terms of not making mistakes. That's why I'm real excited to get to practice on Wednesday [to fix] that stuff."
With the 49ers heading to Philadelphia next weekend to face the Eagles, look for them to shore up that interior run defense against young running back Miles Sanders, especially if defensive tackle
Javon Kinlaw is healthy to play.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
7-round mock draft from The Athletic sees 49ers fortifying defense early
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
Tom Brady 'not opposed' to NFL return with a playoff-bound team like the 49ers
Just when you thought the San Francisco 49ers and Tom Brady storylines had concluded, the future Hall of Fame quarterback drops another tidbit that sparks discussion. During an episode of "DeepCut with VicBlends," the host asked Brady what he would do if the NFL came calling once again.
VicBlends inquired if Brady would consider returning to the football field if a playoff-bound team like the 49ers needed him.
"I'm not opposed to it," Brady said, per Jordan Mendoza of USA Today. "I don't know if they're gonna let me if I become an owner an NFL team. I don't know, I'm always gonna be in good shape, always be able to
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
