Defense has been this way before
Last week, two days after the 49ers throttled the Rams in a 28-0 season-opening win, outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks said the performance would send a message to their next opponent.
“They see it on film,” Brooks said. “It’s a scary sight for them to see.”
On Sunday, however, that next opponent — the Carolina Panthers — was scary good against a defense that went from dominant to disastrous. In their 46-27 win, the Panthers had 26 first downs and 529 yards in a performance that knocked the swagger out of the 49ers.
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, who was a week removed from rehashing the 49ers’ first shutout since 2012, was left to explain how
his defense allowed the franchise’s most yards since 2007.
The disparity, of course, had something to do with the opponent. The defending NFC champion Panthers were headlined by league MVP Cam Newton (353, 4 TDs) and power-forward-size wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (108 yards, 2 TDs). They combined for several highlight-reel plays.
The 49ers repeatedly were worked over by Cam and Co. after whatever they did worked against Los Angeles quarterback Case Keenum.
“We made some mistakes, but they made some plays, too,” O’Neil said. “You’ve got to tip your hat to them. Cam Newton threw some great balls. Their wide receivers went and made some plays. They had some good schematics in the run game.”
The disparate defensive performances make it unclear if the 49ers have upgraded from 2015, when they allowed three points in their opener and 43 in Week 2.
The answer will become evident in the coming weeks, starting with another visit to an NFC power led by an elite quarterback. The 49ers will meet the Seahawks and Russell Wilson on Sunday and, despite their pedigree, their offense has more closely resembled that of the Rams than the Panthers through two games.
The Seahawks (1-1) are coming off a 9-3 loss in Los Angeles, have scored one touchdown this season and their 15 points rank 31st in the NFL — and are two fewer than the 49ers scored in the final 13 minutes Sunday.
What’s wrong? Well, the Seahawks no longer have Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch, Wilson (usually ultramobile) is playing with a sprained ankle he sustained in Week 1 and his offensive line remains the question mark it was entering the season. Seattle has allowed five sacks and ranks 27th in yards per rushing attempt (3.2).
The Seahawks addressed their offensive line in the draft, but guard Germain Ifedi, their first-round pick, has missed the first two games with an ankle injury and didn’t practice Wednesday.
“We haven’t been up to the standards that we’ve set,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “… We expected to pick up where we left off and we didn’t get off to a very good start in those two games. We know where we’re going with it and we know what we want to do. And we’ve just got to make it happen.”
On Sunday, the Seahawks will face an aggressive defense that has forced five turnovers. However, the go-make-a-play mantra preached by O’Neil also explains the 78-yard touchdown they allowed to wide-open tight end Greg Olsen in Week 2.
Olsen was untouched after safety Antoine Bethea took a step toward the line of scrimmage, which allowed Olsen to breeze by him.
Bethea said he made his break based on a route Olsen typically ran from the formation Carolina was in, but the Panthers broke their tendency. O’Neil said it was part of the cost of being aggressive.
“He gathered presnap information and he took a shot,” O’Neil said. “We want our guys to play fearless. We don’t want our guys to play scared. So, if guys study their asses off all week and they see something formationally or something that tips them, we don’t want to be that team that never makes any plays.
“We want our guys to go try to make some plays. That’s what this whole league is about … Obviously, in that situation, it didn’t work out.”