San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has been here before.
In the wake of historically bad injury attrition, including some on his own side of the ball, Saleh's 2020 defense ended up being a primary reason the Niners were even remotely competitive over the course of that forgettable season. While San Francisco's 390 points allowed on the year ranked 17th in the league, the total yardage given up (5,030) was fifth best. And that was in spite of losing key figureheads like defensive end Nick Bosa for nearly the entire year.
One could make the argument that campaign helped Saleh land his head-coaching job with the New York Jets the following offseason.
Now, it's time for Saleh to engineer some 2020-like defensive masterpieces.
The 49ers are again beset by brutal injuries, including All-Pro tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), with the former landing on injured reserve and the latter sidelined anywhere from two to five weeks.
Both suffered their respective injuries in the Week 1 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, joining what's been already a lengthy list of players who've missed time.
True, the Niners have full confidence in Purdy's No. 2, Mac Jones, as he's poised to get his first start in the red and gold in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, while the offense hopes pass catchers like Ricky Pearsall and the newly acquired Kendrick Bourne can help make up for Kittle's absence.
Still, it might be up to Saleh to ensure San Francisco successfully navigates this recent rash of injuries.
49ers must be defense 1st with Brock Purdy and George Kittle out
Saleh's defense was a prime reason why the Hawks mustered a mere 230 yards in Week 1, fourth fewest out of all 32 teams. And despite lacking the splash plays until late in the game, the 49ers quietly put on a defensive show at Lumen Field.
Even if it wasn't perfect. Questionable performances from key rookies like defensive tackle Alfred Collins and cornerback Upton Stout help attest to that.
Looking forward, however, the Niners may have to think of themselves as a defense-first squad, one where a Jones-led offense has to be carried by Saleh's defense, not unlike what the coordinator had to engineer back in 2020 amid all those injuries on the other side of the ball.
From the offense's perspective, it might be as simple as protecting the ball and relying heavily on the run game, still led by All-Pro Christian McCaffrey, rather than asking Jones to play at a $265 million level (as is expected of Purdy).
Fortunately, San Francisco's upcoming slate of games suggest this'll be easier than not.
In Week 1, a Spencer Rattler-led NOLA squad managed 13 points at home against the Arizona Cardinals, averaging 4.6 yards per play (tied for 20th). Rattler's league-high 46 pass attempts reveals a lot, yet he generated only 206 yards through the air, meaning there may be opportunities for takeaways in Week 2, particularly in light of him completing not 60 percent of those passes.
Looking beyond, the Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively, aren't exactly lining up to be other-worldly offenses this year either, meaning Saleh's defense should still be well-equipped enough to keep a depleted San Francisco squad in games until both Purdy and Kittle return.
Saleh has done this sort of thing before. He might have to do so again.