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San Francisco 49ers: 5 biggest special teams questions in 2017

By Peter Panacy

Sep 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Francisco 49ers punter Bradley Pinion (5) punts the ball during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the 49ers 46-27. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 18, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Francisco 49ers punter Bradley Pinion (5) punts the ball during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the 49ers 46-27. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (17) on a punt return against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Lev’i’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (17) on a punt return against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Lev’i’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1: Where Will the 49ers Rank Overall on Special Teams?

So the 49ers weren’t particularly good in field position last year, but that’s not entirely special teams’ fault.

Remember, the Niners boasted one of the worst offenses in the NFL last year, which meant field position was already going to be bad.

To change things up a bit, let’s look over at what Football Outsiders had to say about this group’s efforts in 2016. Football Outsiders has a metric called DVOA, or defensive-adjusted value over average — explained here.

This metric takes into account field goals, punts and returns and assigns them to a percentage over league average.

Last year, the adjusted DVOA for San Francisco was plus-1.9 percent, which ranked 10th in the NFL.

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That’s not bad. But one has to consider the reliance the Niners had on both punts — Bradley Pinion led the league in punts, remember — as well as field goals in what was the league’s 27th best scoring offense.

If the 49ers can hang around this number this upcoming season, that will be about as good as one should expect.

Especially considering the defense should be better in 2017 and the Niners will be operating a much different offensive system that doesn’t sputter out in an uptempo style.

Next: New-look roster predictions for the 49ers in 2017

Don’t forget special teams, everyone. They’re important.