One area is saving the San Francisco 49ers defense

This is key.

Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers defense has not been good this year and if they do fall short of a Super Bowl, it is almost a lock that the defense giving up too many points and yards will be a part of the problem. 

However, at the same time, the defense has been good enough to get them in contention for the No. 1 seed, and they have shown up big in specific moments. 

One area where the 49ers have been able to make up ground is by playing sound football. 

San Francisco 49ers defensive key is a lack of penalties 

The 49ers rank 32nd in the NFL in expected points added allowed by their defense. Their defense has under 14 expected points allowed due to penalties, while the highest defense is up over 51. 

How many expected points did each #NFL team gain from penalties on plays that otherwise would’ve gone for no yardage?

1. NYG 51.9
2. DAL 42.3
3. WAS 37.4
...
32. SF 13.9 pic.twitter.com/mgYEjs0dvP

— SFdata9ers🏈📊 (@sfdata9ers) December 31, 2025

So, the team has given up yards and they have failed to get sacks, but they have made teams earn it. They have to protect well and they have to complete the passes because nothing is going to be free and the team is not going to make stupid mistakes. 

This obviously goes back to Robert Saleh. At times his scheme can be criticized for not being very complex. He does not blitz much or mix up coverages. His cornerbacks play sides and you can typically expect what to get from Saleh and get it. 

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The pros to this is that his defense is smart. Everyone understands their assignment, and it allows them to play fast and not make any critical mistakes or errors. This can help keep the penalties down as well. 

Saleh has already admitted that there are going to be certain stats that he does not care about with this defense. However, he also knows that by doing that he has to lean into winning on the margins. The 49ers are giving up yardage and sacks, but by buckling down in the red zone and by playing penalty-free football they can make just enough stops to give their offense a chance. 

Nobody is going to look back at the season stats of this defense and give Saleh the credit for what he has done this year. However, when you look into how Saleh is able to keep the team in contention every week, it is much easier to appreciate the coaching job being done in San Francisco.  Saleh has been fantastic for them.