5 stats reveal why 49ers are 3-5 halfway through 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers haven’t been able to convert on third down
It was a massive strength in 2019. It’s a massive weakness in 2021. But before we explain why the 49ers’ third-down woes have been a problem, let’s explore why it’s impacted the entire offense at the end result.
Interestingly enough, the Niners own the NFL’s best red-zone scoring percentage at 77.3 percent, which is ironic considering Kyle Shanahan’s offenses have historically struggled here. The issue, though, is San Francisco is averaging only 2.8 red-zone drives per game, which is tied for 22nd.
Simply put, the 49ers aren’t getting into the red zone anywhere near enough. The median average here is approximately 3.5 times per game, and the Niners are almost a full drive below that mark.
Why?
Well, third-down woes. That’s the issue.
San Francisco is converting third downs a mere 33.3 percent of the time, ranking third worst out of the entire NFL and only marginally ahead of the Seattle Seahawks (31.3 percent) and the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars (29.8 percent).
Many of the 49ers’ first-down attempts haven’t created the 2nd-and-manageable or 3rd-and-short situations ideal for more third-down conversions, so that’s part of the problem, too.
But if red-zone appearances can’t thrive without third-down conversions, it’s easy to see why the Niners have only managed the league’s 18th scoring offense halfway through 2021.