San Francisco 49ers: 10-2 Start Due in Large Part to Superb Special Teams Play

The San Francisco 49ers are off to the best start since 1997, and their 10-2 record puts them in line to claim the two seed in the NFC for the 2011 NFL playoffs. This remarkable turnaround and excellent record is due in large part to superb special teams play. 

Besides the big hits and electric returns that often accompany special teams, this is an area that is largely ignored or forgotten when considering how teams find success.

Since the Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the 49ers have only lost one game. The head coach for the opposing team that beat the team just so happens to be the big brother of 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

John Harbaugh, when asked about how the Baltimore Ravens were able to stifle a 49ers team that had won eight straight games said this,

"

When you play the field position game and never give them an opportunity to play on a short field. If you don't do that, and you don't make a mistake, you have a chance to beat the 49ers, and that's about it. Because if you make a mistake, they'll capitalize on it.

"

So, what does this have to do with special teams?

Besides the game in Baltimore, the 49ers have excelled at starting out drives with a short field while at the same time pinning their opponents deep in their own territory. For the season, the 49ers lead the NFL in a few key categories that receive less attention than they deserve:

• 28.5 yards per kickoff return (t-1) which also gives them the league lead in starting field position (they start their offensive drives on average at the 33 yard line)
• Opponents start off their offensive drives on average at the 24 yard line, making the 49ers first in the NFL in that category

So, the 49ers are the best in the NFL at giving their opponents long fields while simultaneously giving themselves a shorter field. 

When you combine these factors with the team's first ranked turnover differential, at plus 18, you have a recipe for success.

Punter Andy Lee, a perennial Pro-Bowler, will be going back to Hawaii again this year (provided the 49ers aren't in the Super Bowl) and is second in the NFL in average yards per punt (50.4).

The team also features a few special teams studs. Blake Costanzo, Tavares Gooden, Anthony Dixon, C.J. Spillman and Colin Jones are among the players that contribute on a regular basis to the team's NFL leading field position unit.

Oh, and don't forget about first year (for the 49ers) stud kicker David Akers. Akers leads the NFL with 32 made field goals and in total points scored. He has also been perfect from over 50 yards (6/6), with his longest one coming from 55 yards.

The 49ers will make headlines with their defense and power running game, and Alex Smith will garner plenty of press as he leads the team to the first playoff appearance since 2002. 

Let's not discount how much the 49ers dominance on special teams has contributed to the success of the season and the team's 10-2 record. 

After all, the game is comprised of three phases, and it just so happens the 49ers are good at all of them.