A much-maligned 49ers unit led the win over the Browns

As a San Francisco 49ers fan since 2005, I've been used to some pretty poor teams.

Sitting in front of my television in the UK, I endured years of Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary (and his "winners"), and a general malaise around the Niners.

That was until January 2011, when now-Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh joined the team.

I'm not here to rehash that era, other than to say that one of the strengths (and there were many) of Harbaugh's units was the amount of complimentary football his teams played. While Alex Smith and Frank Gore held things down on offense and all-timers for the 49ers like defensive end Justin Smith and linebacker Patrick Willis kept opposing teams from scoring, it was the third phase of the game that frequently made an impact.

Those of you of my Niners vintage will remember kickers like David Akers and Phil Dawson, and the punting of Andy Lee, while also recalling the explosive return ability of Ted Ginn. We'll not talk about Kyle Williams, though. It's still too soon.

You may also remember the "Tony Montana squad," where special teams units featuring the likes of running back Anthony Dixon, linebacker Blake Costanzo, and safety CJ Spillman frequently made plays under the watchful eye of then-special teams coordinator Brad Seely.

Now, why have I taken you on that nostalgia trip? Simple: because there are signs that the 2025 Niners may just have a special teams unit of their own to be proud of.

49ers special teams are... good?

You're stunned, I know. The Kyle Shanahan era hasn't exactly been blessed with solid special teams play. Indeed, it's arguably lost San Francisco a Super Bowl and definitely played a contributing factor in the awfulness that was the 2024 season. At times, it seemed like the 49ers didn't care about special teams, merely reducing its role to one of "just don't mess things up" -- something they couldn't often achieve.

However, there are gradual signs that things are changing.

Since Brant Boyer was hired away from the New York Jets to be the special teams coordinator in January, the special teams unit has undergone a noticeable shift from liability to positive.

It's taken a little while to get there, but strong performances by the likes of cornerback Darrell Luter, safety Siran Neal and linebacker Luke Gifford (as well as some recent impressive cameos by rookie linebacker Nick Martin) have lifted things. The additions of Eddy Piñeiro and Thomas Morstead as the kicking battery have also stabilised their respective units, while Skyy Moore has proved to be a plus-level player as a returner.

That's ended up landing the Niners with the second-best special teams unit in the league, in terms of EPA per play:

That continued on Sunday, as the special teams unit overpowered the Cleveland Browns in a Week 13 game where field position, in howling wind and freezing conditions, was of the essence.

Two huge plays -- a 66-yard punt return by Moore, and a fumble recovery by Luter in punt coverage -- set up two short-field 49ers touchdowns and were a big part of the reason they won the game. Kicker Matt Gay also nailed both his field-goal and extra-point attempts (although Gay's first field goal rattled in off the left upright in a briefly heart-stopping moment), while Morstead was able to pin neophyte Cleveland quarterback Shedeur Sanders back several times into poor field position.

All in all, it was an excellent effort by the whole unit, and it only underscores the impact the 49ers special teams' improvement has had on the team as a whole. With the need to carry its offense and defense at various times this season due to injuries, good special teams play was an absolute must coming into 2025, and Boyer and his charges have well and truly delivered so far.

The only slight sadness is that Moore hasn't yet been able to turn his explosive returns into touchdowns, leaving Tedd Ginn and Richie James Jr., respectively, as the last two Niners to score return touchdowns.

If things keep going as they are, though, that might not be the case for long.