San Francisco 49ers: Putting Their Dominant Defensive Streaks in Perspective

The San Francisco 49ers have a chance to extend a couple of important streaks this weekend (33 games without a 100 yard rusher and 11 games without allowing a rushing touchdown) against the St. Louis Rams. 

The 49ers defense has been dominant this season and the team is on the brink of breaking a record that has stood since 1928. With that in mind, I want to put the teams two streaks in perspective for those who might not realize how special this defense really is.

Let's first discuss the historical significance of the lesser (though certainly not less impressive) streak of 33 straight games without allowing a 100 yard rusher.

The Baltimore Ravens defense in the late 1990s and into 2000 went 50 straight games without allowing their opponents a 100 yard rushing day, an NFL record. Since then, the 49ers have the third longest streak in the NFL.

Now, onto the big one.

There has never been a team to go more than 12 straight games without allowing a runner to score a touchdown on the ground. The last team to go 11 games in a row to start their season was the 1928 Providence Steam Roller. 

Keep in mind, the competition was slightly less intimidating at the time than the weekly test of will and physicality that today's NFL players face. In fact, the guys playing on those fields in 1928 weren't full-time football players. They all had day jobs.

The main point here is that the 49ers defense is historically one of the most dominant units in the entire history of the NFL. 

This weekend the 49ers face Rams running back Stephen Jackson, who was the last runner to rush for a touchdown against this team back in December last season. 

Since Sam Bradford seems to be unavailable to play, the Rams will have to rely even more on their veteran leader to shoulder the burden of offensive productivity.

No other team in the NFL has dealt with a more devastating set of injuries than the Rams, and this will be just another trial in a long line of problems for the young team this season.

You can bet that the 49ers are well aware of Jackson's history, and the defense will be properly motivated to keep the streak alive.

In addition to the two exciting streaks that the 49ers are trying to extend, there are some other numbers that add weight to the claim of perhaps still being seen as the number one defense in the NFL:

• With three more passes defended against the Ravens, the 49ers now have 80 total on the year, first in the NFL.
• The 49ers defense hasn't allowed a single touchdown, by land or through the air, in the first half of their last five games. 
• With 15 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles, the 49ers still lead the NFL in turnovers with 26

I know that Baltimore Ravens fans will vehemently disagree with the notion that the 49ers might have a better defense, and they might have an argument, but I can't help but have a particular fondness for the group of guys and their coaches that the 49ers have assembled to make this impressive run at NFL history.

Whether you agree or disagree with me about where the 49ers defense ranks this season, I'm sure you'll agree with me that this defense is doing some incredible things. 

I'll personally be surprised to see Stephen Jackson come away with over 75 yards rushing, and I certainly don't expect him to score a touchdown. The 49ers defense is locked in, and they will keep both streaks alive for at least one more week.