How 49ers Offense, Defense Compare to Rest of NFC West
Competition within the vaunted NFC West won't get any easier for the San Francisco 49ers as they look to rebound from a bumpy offseason.
The team experienced plenty of changes in its offense, defense and within the coaching staff. While a good portion of the 49ers will return from last year, both sides of the ball will be employing some new faces.
So how will these respective units fare against teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams?
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The defense has been a major factor among the vanguard of NFC West teams over the last four seasons. Three of the four divisional rivals—St. Louis being the exception—finished in the top 10 of NFL defenses last year with regard to fewest points allowed.
But the respective NFC West teams also made numerous changes to their offenses, which prompts further questions regarding how the 49ers offense will stack up against its competition within the division.
The Defense
San Francisco went with a defensive-minded head coach when the front office promoted former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to the helm this offseason.
The 49ers' O-line has been a preeminent strength in recent years thanks in large measure to Tomsula's efforts and the play of veteran defensive end Justin Smith. But Smith has since retired, and along with last season's release of fellow DE Ray McDonald, the look of the D-line will be much different in 2015.
And Smith's departure was one of a number of notable departures that cast some doubt on the defense's abilities in the upcoming season.
The Defensive Line
The 49ers are now forced to find immediate replacements for Smith and McDonald. Thankfully, San Francisco's depth will provide much of the answer.
Third-year pro defensive end Tank Carradine will finally get a full-time opportunity to live up to his second-round draft status. The 2013 draftee of the 49ers hasn't seen much of the field since being selected and missed his entire rookie season because of a collegiate injury.
But Carradine came on strong at the end of last season. He finished the year with three sacks over the team's final three games.
Still, the prolific pass-rusher out of Florida State might occupy a different role along the line, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area:
"Now, the 49ers need to get production from a player who showed unique pass-rush skills as a senior at Florida State with 13 sacks. But as much as the 49ers would like Carradine to pile up sack numbers, it might be more important that he selflessly creates opportunities for outside linebacker Aldon Smith.
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Carradine's efforts here will be joined by recently acquired D-line veteran Darnell Dockett along with returning players Quinton Dial, Glenn Dorsey, Tony Jerod-Eddie and Ian Williams. Added to the mix is also first-round draftee defensive end Arik Armstead, although Armstead might not be pressed into a starting role his rookie season.
Linebackers
Linebacker Aldon Smith figures to play a prominent role in the 49ers' pass-rushing efforts in 2015. The 25-year-old veteran had just two sacks in 2014 but has amassed 44 over his four-year career.
Further pass-rushing help should be expected out of second-year pro Aaron Lynch, who had six sacks his rookie season. He'll also be backed by rookie linebacker Eli Harold.
While the outside linebacker position remains a unit of strength, the 49ers' situation at inside linebacker is a little more precarious. San Francisco lost both linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement this offseason. Replacing them will not be easy.
On the positive side of things, perennial All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman looks as good as ever after missing all of 2014 with a gruesome knee injury.
Taylor Price of 49ers.com broke down Bowman's efforts from minicamp: "Bowman didn't hit anybody, but he was in position to smother the running backs on nearly every run play. Bowman hasn't played in a game since January of 2014. Even so, the stud linebacker's instincts appear to be as sharp as ever."
Bowman will likely start alongside onetime backup turned starting linebacker Michael Wilhoite. The 49ers also added seven-year veteran linebacker Philip Wheeler during the offseason.
Wheeler had a plus-2.6 overall grade in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (h/t David Fucillo of Niners Nation), but he struggled in passing situations with a minus-4.2 grade.
And what to do with veteran linebacker Ahmad Brooks? Brooks lost playing time last season thanks to Lynch's emergence. Should the 49ers attempt moving Brooks to the inside position—a position at which he started his pro career—to get him more snaps?
Secondary
The safety tandem of Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea should continue doing its part in replicating a 49ers secondary that helped amass 23 interceptions in 2014—No. 1 in the league last year. Backing them up could fall upon rookie safety Jaquiski Tartt depending on how he performs in preseason activities.
But the cornerback position raises a few more questions.
Two of San Francisco's cornerbacks departed the team via free agency during the offseason: Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox. These players combined for nine of those 23 picks, and replacing their production is also a must for the 49ers defense to retain its prowess.
Fortunately, the 49ers should be able to count upon a healthy return of veteran corner Tramaine Brock. Brock missed all but three games in 2014 but should return as the team's No. 1 cornerback.
Exactly who plays alongside him is up for debate. Could it be a veteran corner like Chris Cook or offseason acquisition Shareece Wright? Both struggled with the teams that initially drafted them—the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers, respectively.
Or will San Francisco's defense look to some of its younger talent? Second-year pro Dontae Johnson flashed some promise his rookie year and is gearing up for a better effort in Year 2.
“I’ve been working in the weight room just getting strong, faster and more explosive,” Johnson told Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com. “I want to continue to get better.”
Other developing corners the 49ers could add into the mix include Kenneth Acker and Keith Reaser. Both missed their entire rookie seasons because of injury.
Prediction
Defense will likely continue to be the mantra of NFC West teams in 2015. The reigning NFC champion Seattle finished last year with the fewest points allowed in the NFL (254) and fewest all-purpose yards against (4,274).
Seattle added some new pieces to its vaunted secondary that included cornerbacks Cary Williams and Will Blackmon. But the impact of defensive backs Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman will continue to garner the headlines.
B/R NFL Analyst Chris Simms feels as if the Seahawks defense might slip a bit in 2015 but should still rank as the No. 3 defense across the NFL.
And what of the Rams? St. Louis ranked No. 17 in the league last season in fewest points allowed (354). According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, the Rams defense is a unit that is "ready to win now."
The Cardinals also cannot be discounted. Their defense was fifth in the league with just 299 points allowed, although it gave up 5,891 total yards—ninth most in 2014. Arizona's addition of rookie outside linebacker Markus Golden might cut down these numbers a bit.
| 49ers | 340 | 5,143 | 5.2 | 29 |
| Cardinals | 299 | 5,891 | 5.8 | 25 |
| Rams | 354 | 5,626 | 5.6 | 25 |
| Seahawks | 254 | 4,274 | 4.6 | 24 |
So where does San Francisco's reworked defense fit into things?
Simms and Adam Lefkoe broke down the question in this B/R video and ranked the 49ers as the No. 2 defense in the league.
Despite the losses, Simms pointed out that San Francisco's front seven is among the deepest in the NFL and should be considered a strength.
Defensively, the 49ers should be just fine within the division. The rankings may not be on par with those of the Seahawks just yet. But San Francisco should remain somewhere toward the upper echelon of NFL defenses in 2015.
The Offense
While the 49ers boasted a top-five defense last year, the offense was much more of an issue.
San Francisco's offense finished 2014 with 306 points for, which ranked No. 25 in the NFL. While running the ball wasn't much of a problem—the 49ers had the fourth most rushing yards in the league (2,176)—the passing game came in at an abysmal 3,063 yards, which was 30th out of 32 teams.
The offense also received its fair share of shake-ups. Gone is the franchise's all-time rushing leader, Frank Gore. Also gone are wideouts Michael Crabtree, Brandon Lloyd and Stevie Johnson. The offensive line also saw departures of O-linemen Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis and Jonathan Martin.
But the 49ers added some pieces too. Wideouts Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson are just some of the players who will look to give quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the offense a boost in 2015.
The Offensive Line
It all starts up front, right? If this is the case, the 49ers offensive line will be under a lot of pressure this season. This unit, ravaged by injuries, allowed a whopping 52 sacks last year, which tied for third most in the league.
With Iupati, Davis and Martin gone, San Francisco will turn to second-year pro linemen Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas to cover the interior positions. Center Daniel Kilgore will also, hopefully, return 100 percent from last season's leg injury. And the 49ers also added veteran O-lineman Erik Pears as a free agent.
Interior depth along the line is amicable enough. And there is veteran presence with left tackle Joe Staley and right guard Alex Boone.
Boone has been spending time at the left guard position while Pears has taken over right tackle, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. But this isn't an established formation just yet and will likely change during training camp.
Regardless, the 49ers will need the O-line to bring its A-game regardless of the starting lineup. If not, Kaepernick and the offense might be set up for failure this season—a question Lefkoe and Simms asked in this B/R video.
San Francisco's O-line was a liability last season. But the 49ers were still able to establish the running game.
Can the O-line maintain its efforts in run support?
Running Backs
Second-year pro running back Carlos Hyde is poised to take over the featured back role long held by Gore. He'll have support from a healthy Kendall Hunter as well as 30-year-old back Reggie Bush, who will supply an additional look out of the backfield.
“Certain players do certain things better than other players, so we’re going to try to maximize our potential with our players and put them in a position to win,” running backs coach Tom Rathman told 49ers.com's Tyler Emerick. “But I would say that they’re all well-rounded. I’d like to think that they’re all every-down players. That’s what we’re trying to develop here. We don’t want to try to pigeon anybody and say, ‘You’re only a third-down ‘back.’ I don’t believe in that. If you come to play football, you come to play every down.”
Hyde certainly fits the bill as a No. 1 back. He averaged 4.0 yards per carry on 83 attempts last season. And Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News described why Hyde should get the featured role:
"Hyde is the presumed starter, however, and he likely didn’t lose that status through the offseason program, even if a leg strain kept him out of some practices. Drafted in the second-round last year out of Ohio State, Hyde’s skill set seems to fit what the 49ers are installing under new offensive coordinator Geep Chryst.
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Two major question marks surround Hyde's potential, though. Can the offensive line generate the same holes for between-the-tackles gains? More importantly, will Hyde master the art of patience and vision that made Gore so effective over his career?
And then there is the addition of Bush. While not a traditional back in the sense of consistently attacking on the ground, Bush's best attributes will be as a receiving option out of the backfield.
Bush has 466 receptions for 3,489 yards and 18 touchdowns over his nine-year career.
According to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, the 49ers only utilized screen passes to running backs five times in 2014, and this group had just 44 receptions overall. Bush gives this group a much different dynamic look if he can stay healthy.
Receiving Corps
While the running game wasn't much of a weakness for San Francisco last season, the 49ers needed to make some changes to their receiving corps entering this year.
Much of the need emphasized speed. The lack of speed in 2014 was a major reason why the 49ers felt comfortable parting ways with Crabtree. Adding free-agent wideouts Torrey Smith and Jerome Simpson gives the 49ers bona fide deep threats on the field.
Smith and fellow receiver Anquan Boldin should be the team's Nos. 1 and 2 receivers this year. But which wideout occupies the slot position?
It could be Simpson. Or the job could fall upon younger receivers Bruce Ellington, 23, and Quinton Patton, 24, depending on how each performs in camp and the preseason.
At any rate, the 49ers will need to get some production here. Last season, their receivers averaged just 11.7 yards per reception, which tied for 13th in the NFL.
And what about San Francisco's tight ends?
No. 1 tight end Vernon Davis suffered an abysmal season in 2014. He had just 26 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns.
Davis attributed his lackluster numbers to poor game-planning. A new coaching staff should change that, but the question remains whether or not the 31-year-old Davis can return to an elite level.
Receivers like Smith and Simpson should help take pressure off Davis. Previously, Davis had been the primary deep threat for San Francisco's offense. With Smith and Simpson taking on that job, Davis should be free to run more traditional tight end routes.
Will that help Davis get back into the game plan? The 49ers offense will need that to be the case.
Quarterback
Regardless of how the other elements of San Francisco's offense pan out, the majority of pressure will undoubtedly fall upon the shoulders of Kaepernick.
Kaepernick struggled in 2014 for a number of reasons. His offensive line was permeable, the game-planning wasn't stellar and perhaps he was asked to do too much outside of his natural skill set.
As a result, Kaepernick posted the lowest quarterback rating since being named a starter (86.4), tossed the most interceptions of his career (10) and was sacked a whopping 52 times.
Kaepernick spent a portion of the offseason working with legendary quarterback Kurt Warner and also retooled his throwing motion. You can view the changes in this tweet from Inman:
All of this is fine and whatnot. But the real test will come when Kaepernick and the offense square off against NFL competition and specifically within the division.
Kaepernick owns a career-89.0 quarterback rating against NFC West teams. His career ratings against Arizona and St. Louis are over 100, but those numbers come down substantially against Seattle (53.7).
Getting over the hump, especially against the Seahawks, will be on Kaepernick's to-do list this year.
He'll also have to shed thoughts that he is a one-read quarterback but not abandon his abilities to scramble out of the pocket and move the ball on the ground.
Finding Kaepernick's best skill set and improving upon his weaknesses will be of utmost importance to the 49ers this season.
Prediction
It is hard to look around the division and suspect that any NFC West team will have a high-flying offense in 2015. The Seahawks had a top-10 offense in total points for, but the remaining cast of NFC West teams all ranked in the 20s in 2014.
Each divisional team made changes to its offense during the offseason.
St. Louis added veteran quarterback Nick Foles and drafted promising running back Todd Gurley in Round 1. The Rams also added strength to their O-line with linemen Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown.
Arizona also made some notable acquisitions during the offseason. The Cardinals picked up former 49ers O-lineman Mike Iupati in free agency. That transaction is a blessing or a curse depending on how you want to look at it. Iupati is known for excellent run blocking but not so much for his pass protection.
Rookie running back David Johnson should also provide some amicable depth behind No. 1 back Andre Ellington.
But the big question for the Cardinals is whether veteran quarterback Carson Palmer can stay healthy. Palmer started just six games for Arizona in 2014.
This is a prime factor for NFL Network's Steve Mariucci (h/t Jess Root of SB Nation), who stated that the Cardinals could win the division pending a number of factors:
"But the Arizona Cardinals, if Carson Palmer stays healthy—the guy was 6-0 last year, and they got better. They got Mike Iupati and Cory Redding, and they've got (LaMarr) Woodley and (Sean) Weatherspoon. They have added to the team. They are knocking on the door. That's a playoff team and I say if Carson Palmer stays healthy, Arizona wins that division.
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To do so, the Cardinals will have to offset the Seahawks. Seattle made some notable transactions of its own this offseason. The headliner was the trade for three-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham.
Graham owns a career average of just 37.5 yards per game against San Francisco. But he could easily emerge as a favorite target for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Wilson and the Seahawks will likely stick to an offense that features running back Marshawn Lynch and an effective read-option scheme. This approach has worked well in recent seasons, so there isn't much of a reason to make wholesale changes.
| 49ers | 306 | 5,239 | 5.2 | 22 |
| Cardinals | 310 | 5,116 | 5.2 | 17 |
| Rams | 324 | 5,035 | 5.3 | 27 |
| Seahawks | 394 | 6,012 | 5.9 | 14 |
So where do the 49ers fit in?
B/R's Matt Bowen broke down the power rankings of each NFC West offense. Bowen lists Seattle as the No. 1 offensive unit within the division for 2015. Right behind it are the Cardinals, and the 49ers come in at No. 3.
Bowen's primary concern with San Francisco is that the change in coaching staff raises too many questions to suggest this unit will suddenly find its way into a top-tier offense.
That might be the case. The Seahawks offense doesn't appear to slide at all. And the Cardinals do have excellent depth at their receiving positions and within the backfield. The question for Arizona and for all teams is whether health will be a factor.
Conclusion
San Francisco's defense will likely remain a primary strength in 2015. Despite numerous changes within various units, the 49ers' defensive depth will hopefully be able to retain the effectiveness that has been so noteworthy in recent seasons.
Not having an elite defense within the division is a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, San Francisco has what appears to be a solid, physical D that is capable of shutting down almost any offense around the league.
But the big question will be whether the offense can improve upon lowly numbers generated from a year ago.
A new coaching staff raises questions as to whether the offense will jell in short order.
New weapons, such as Smith, Simpson and Bush, do give the 49ers offense more dynamics. Whether these guys will be the difference-makers remains to be seen.
San Francisco has proved that it can get by with a stout defense and a workable, methodical offense. It might have to do so again given some of the power rankings listed.
If that is the case, the 49ers might turn some heads this season and prove that they are better than an 8-8 franchise.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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