The Defense Cost Us This Game: Check out these Stats

While the majority of talk on the board today revolves around the offense, the clear problem today was the defense. The final numbers should be troubling to 49ers fans who have felt confident for most of this season that the defense would carry the team in tough games:

Packers total yards: 484
The #1 team in the NFL in total offensive yards per game is the Saints, and they only average 426 yards a game.

Packers 3rd down%: 10/18- 55%
The #1 team in the NFL in 3rd down conversion is the Colts, at 50%. So, the Niners clearly did not get the Packers off the field, especially in the last drive that chewed up the final 5 minutes.

Packers 1st downs: 26
The #1 team in the NFL in first downs per game is the NE Patriots, with an average of 23.7 per game. The Niners allowed more than the top team in this catagory as well.

Time of Possession: 41:39
The #1 team in the NFL in time of possession is the NYG at 34:23. Our team allowed almost seven more minutes. Now, part of the problem was the first half ineptitude of the offense, but the defense clearly did not help the team to minimize the amount of time the Packers had the ball, including the final 5 minutes when the Niners knew the Packers were simply going to run the ball to kill the clock.

Offensive Snaps: 79
The #1 team in the NFL in offensive snaps per game is the Dolphins, with an average of 65.8 per game. The Packers had more than 13 additional snaps than the #1 team, a mindboggling number.

So, while the argument of the spread offense, Alex Smith, Jimmy Raye, the offensive line, and Singletary's offensive philosophy are all important to resolve in order to bring continuity on offense, the defense clearly needs to shoulder the blame for this debacle.

Cheers.

I agree and this isn't the first time in my eyes.. They need to take accountability for not getting off the field at the end of games

I agree, one stop and the game could have been ours.

the defense has been a problem all year. They can't get turn overs, they can't stop the pass, they can't stop 3rd down conversions to get off the field and they can't stop a damn screen pass if their lives depended on it.

Originally posted by backontop:
the defense has been a problem all year. They can't get turn overs, they can't stop the pass, they can't stop 3rd down conversions to get off the field and they can't stop a damn screen pass if their lives depended on it.

yeah but the O never helps either so this is a whole team problem.

It looked to me like Brown really struggled all game long against this WR group. He played too deep in coverage at the snap, was beaten on the slant for the long TD, and just struggled to make plays.

Greg Munusky basically got spanked by Mike McCarthy. Munusky had his pants down butt naked and McCarthy gave it to him... especially on 3rd downs. This loss is on the coaching staff.

Originally posted by backontop:
the defense has been a problem all year. They can't get turn overs, they can't stop the pass, they can't stop 3rd down conversions to get off the field and they can't stop a damn screen pass if their lives depended on it.

Same exact problems every year. Zero pass rush, worst OLB's of any 3-4 team, pathetic coverage esp, in the middle of the field with Willis and the 2 safeties, CB's play 20 yards off the LOS, defense, can't contain the edges with fast backs, predictable defense (vanilla), Mark Roman is still on the team, Michael Lewis is still one-dimensional and slower this year, etc. piss poor d-line in short yardage esp. at the goal line (anywhere inside 9 yards of the goal line), etc. So, yeah, defense stinks but most ppl focus on the offense b/c they are actually worse.

Our D is overrated and was on a particular bad day today. Even Willis had a bad game.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
It looked to me like Brown really struggled all game long against this WR group. He played too deep in coverage at the snap, was beaten on the slant for the long TD, and just struggled to make plays.

That can be said about spencer he was burned alot by jennings!

it seems like the other teams always converts on 3rd downs, its getting really rediculous

The 5 total yards passing in the half has nothing to do with it.

The defense isn't to blame. No pash rusher and QB is.

At the same time, four consecutive offensive 3 & outs in the 1st half doesn't help the defense much.

Originally posted by SonocoNinerFan:
At the same time, four consecutive offensive 3 & outs in the 1st half doesn't help the defense much.

yep! couldn't agree more. What were GB's yardage totals in the first half versus the second half?

That T.O.P stat is absolutely astounding.