3 stats 49ers should see improvement in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers’ Points Allowed per Drive
2020 Stats: 1.96 points allowed per drive, eighth fewest in NFL
There’s a number of takeaways from this particular stat, but it’s pretty provocative when diving into the details.
From the broader perspective, allowing less than two points per defensive stand is awfully good. And despite all of San Francisco’s offensive turnover woes last season, then-defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s side of the ball was notably effective at limiting the damage by surrendering an average of just 1.96 points per drive while giving up an average of only 2.6 touchdowns per game (tied for eighth best).
Another plus-side explanation, which stands in contrast to the 49ers having the league’s 17th-ranked scoring defense, is the fact Saleh’s unit had the league’s eighth-best red-zone defense, surrendering touchdowns just under 58 percent of the time.
There could be a bit of a defensive lapse under first-year defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, yes. But with the bulk of impact defenders coming back, particularly ones like EDGE Nick Bosa, the offset could ultimately mean an improvement in points allowed per game.
Fewer turnovers on offense equate to fewer and longer defensive stands, typically resulting in less frequent scoring opportunities for opponents.
And as long as the Niners’ red-zone defense stays consistent where it’s been the last few years, it wouldn’t be shocking to see 1.96 drop to something in the range of 1.8, which would be significant.