49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently praised Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, but his own team’s issues, particularly on defense, are drawing more attention. Two years ago, the 49ers had the best run defense in the league. Now, the unit has plummeted to mediocrity. Through 13 weeks of the season, the 49ers are allowing 4.4 yards per carry, ranking 19th out of 32 teams, and have given up 19 rushing touchdowns—second most in the NFL. The sharp decline is glaring for a team that prides itself on defensive dominance.
Shanahan didn’t mince words about the struggles, saying, “The bottom line is we haven’t played good enough run defense.” He pointed out that the team’s inability to stop the run has been a critical factor in all their losses this year. In fact, the fewest rushing yards they’ve allowed in a loss is around 150—a clear indication of how poorly they’ve performed in that area.
The head coach elaborated on the reasons for their struggles, citing players being out of position, missed tackles, missed assignments, and failing to generate turnovers. He also mentioned their inability to get off the field on third downs, which allows opponents to sustain drives and call more running plays. These issues have snowballed into blowout losses, especially in recent weeks.
Notably, Shanahan did not place blame on rookie defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen’s play calling. Instead, he attributed the problems to a lack of execution by the players. His comments suggest the team’s struggles are more about lapses in fundamentals and discipline than strategic shortcomings.
The 49ers’ once-elite defense faces significant challenges to regain its form, and Shanahan’s focus on execution indicates that the burden falls on the players to step up and turn things around.
