Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 5 statistics needing massive improvement in Week 4

By Peter Panacy

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 13: Running back Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers runs during the first half of the NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 13, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals beat the 49ers 23-20. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 13: Running back Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers runs during the first half of the NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium on November 13, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals beat the 49ers 23-20. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
49ers Hyde
SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 10: Carlos Hyde #28 of the San Francisco 49ers gets stopped a yard short of the goal line by Kawann Short #99 and Thomas Davis #58 of the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter of their NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Third-Down Conversion Percentage

Teams’ successes or failures can often be attributed to two stats — third-down conversion rate and red-zone scoring percentage.

The Niners are OK in the latter, boasting a 50-percent red-zone touchdown rate, but there’s a serious issue on third downs.

According to TeamRankings.com, San Francisco owns a 31.71-percent third-down conversion success rate, which ranked 27th in the NFL entering last Sunday’s games. The mean is 40 percent, so it’s easy to figure out why the Niners have dealt with offensive woes in two of the first three weeks.

In Week 3, the 49ers were 9-of-18 on third down against a good Rams defense, so we’ve seen how Kyle Shanahan’s can work when players are executing properly enough.

Much of the failure rate here can be attributed to a lack of execution and talent — both of which the Niners have struggled.

The Cardinals have struggled, defensively, on third downs. Through the first two weeks of the season, Arizona has allowed opponents to convert 47.06 percent of the time — 23rd in the NFL.

Perhaps this gives San Francisco an opportunity to improve this mark.