San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Under Ryans, defense swarms to 11 for 49ers
The best way to get noticed is to never go away.
That advice struck a chord with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans more than two decades ago when he was a linebacker with college-ball aspirations at Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer, Ala.
One of his coaches, Ty Lockett, told Ryans the key to getting a full ride was to always go full throttle, ensuring he would be a fixture on the screen when recruiters studied his game film.
He said, “‘Hey, man, if you want a scholarship, you need to show up in the frame,’ ” Ryans recalled. “Show up in the frame.
So that’s kind of always been my mentality since high school.”
It worked for Ryans, 38, a former All-American at Alabama, the 2006 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowl selection in his 10-year career. It’s also working quite well for his players, whose show-upin-the-frame mentality explains why they are showing up near the top in nearly every major NFL defensive category entering Sunday’s meeting against the Saints (4-7) at Levi’s Stadium.
The resurgent 49ers (6-4) will enter on a three-game winning streak thanks partly to heavy lifting from the NFL’s topranked defense, which hasn’t allowed a second-half point in each victory.
Opponents have averaged a mere five first downs, 98.7 yards and 3.7 yards per play in the final 30 minutes during the win streak.
“I try to see how many times there’s 11 (defenders) on the screen,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “and it’s almost every play.”
In addition, opponents have
converted just 26.7% of their attempts (4 of 15) on third and fourth down during the secondhalf shutout stretch.
“They fly around to the football,” Saints quarterback Andy Dalton said.
The 49ers lead the NFL in fewest total yards (283.9) and rushing yards (81.1) allowed per game. They are second in yards allowed per play (4.7). And they are tied for fourth in sacks (32).
Running back Christian McCaffrey, who played against the 49ers’ defense on Oct. 9 before he was traded by the Panthers 12 days later, said he noted their uncommon ability to swarm to the ball before Carolina’s 37-15 loss.
“If you turn on the tape and you watch how many guys are surrounding the football every play, it’s impressive,” McCaffrey said. “And it’s a testament to the coaches and the leadership here. They take a lot of pride in not just doing their job, but doing it at a very high level. And doing it physically and fast.”
About the only area in which the 49ers’ defense is lagging is takeaways, ranking just 20th in the league with 12. As it happens, the Saints could boost the 49ers’ modest total in that area.
New Orleans’ four-win total is partly due to their 19 turnovers, which is tied for the NFL lead, and their league-worst turnover differential (-12). The Saints have thrown the most interceptions (12) in the NFL and have lost seven fumbles, tied for seventh-most.
These clearly aren’t the Saints of quarterback Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton, whose 15-season partnership (20062020) produced nine 10-win seasons, seven division titles and a Super Bowl championship.
Sunday will mark the first time the 49ers have played New Orleans without Payton on the sideline and Brees in the starting lineup since Sept. 19, 2004, when the Saints beat them 30-27 in the Louisiana Superdome with head coach Jim Haslett and quarterback Aaron Brooks.
Asked about his overall impressions of the Saints, it was notable that Shanahan devoted the first 87 words of his answer to an area that was often overshadowed in New Orleans for a decade-and-a-half. The Saints’ first-year head coach, Dennis Allen, was their defensive coordinator for the previous seven seasons.
“Just starting with their defense, they look like a Dennis Allen team,” Shanahan said of the NFL’s 12th-ranked unit. “They are as tough and physical and as sound as anyone we played this year.”
As for their offense, the Saints rank 15th in the NFL in points scored after landing among the NFL’s top five in 10 of Brees’ 15 seasons.
Dalton, 35, who is on his fourth team in his past four seasons, ranks eighth in the NFL in passer rating (96.4). However, his seven picks have been critical in season in which the Saints have lost four games by eight points or fewer. Dalton’s interception percentage (2.9) is 30th among 35 qualifying passers.
Next, he’ll face a stern test Sunday against a defense that’s following the handed-down advice of its leader.
“If you want a better opportunity for yourself,” Ryans said, “whether it’s getting a scholarship, it’s winning a game or getting a new contract, show up in the frame.”