49ers Are Pointing to Defense

The San Francisco 49ers’ defense ranks 25th among 28 in the National Football League and has allowed 741 passing yards, the fifth-highest total in the league.

The 49ers also have won each of their three games, have the fourth-fewest points-against total, and only five teams have allowed fewer rushing yards.

So how does defensive-line coach John Marshall rate the defense?

“It’s always got to be on points,” he said. “What we want to do is lead the league in (least) points scored against.”

San Francisco coach George Seifert, former defensive coordinator under Bill Walsh, said the bottom line is points against.

“There has been a number of years when our defense has been this type of defense,” he said. “We’ve given up yards and yet the scoring part is down. You obviously can’t expect to always do that. (When) teams become more efficient as the season goes, then we’ve got to become more efficient at stopping them sooner. What I always did when I was defensive coach was use points against.”

Marshall, in his second year with the 49ers after stints with the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers, said the bend-not-break defense lends to a couple of theories.

“I think it tells you that you are playing solid and sound defense,” he said. “People are going to move the ball on you, especially when they’ve got very good skilled people.

“It tells you your players are tending to business and it may take a couple of plays to get (the opposition) stopped. They may be hitting some plays in the weakness of the defense that you happen to have on the field at the time. In terms of the scheme, every scheme has got a weakness.

“But basically, it tells me that a team cannot drive the ball eight or nine or ten plays and score on us, normally.”

Certainly, the opposition’s inability to rush successfully against the 49ers has led to increased passing attempts and yardage. And the 49ers have led entering the fourth quarter in each of their three games, so that too would lead to more passing and less running. Hence, the lofty passing yardage against San Francisco.

But Marshall says the defensive line has not been as effective in sacking quarterbacks as he’d like. The 49ers have five sacks, fifth-fewest in the league.

“I can always find something for us to improve upon,” he said. “I’d like to improve the pass-rush production. How many times we get the quarterback on the ground.”

Isn’t pressure enough?

“No, get him on the ground, get him on the ground,” Marshall said. “If you get him on the ground, No. 1, he’s worrying about the rush now.

“If you’re kind of close but you don’t touch him, he’s still comfortable with his protection. But when you can hit him, now he’s says, ‘Uh, oh.’ Because if you can hit him, that means you’re within a step of him. And that’s too close, he knows that if he’s got to hold the ball, he’s going to get sacked.”

It’s likely Marshall and the defense will continue to improve because All-Pro nose tackle Michael Carter, who is recovering from foot and knee surgery, is expected to play more each week. Seifert said Carter could start Oct. 7 against Houston.

Marshall said the entire defense benefits from Carter’s presence.

Linebacker Matt Millen treats defensive statistics as he would a loud-mouth running back -- with disdain. “I was never one to look at statistics,” he said. “I was never one to look at points allowed, rank any of the junk. Who cares? I’ve always been one to look at win-loss column. That’s always the bottom line.”