Is the 49ers defense overrated?

[Jstopper]

If you’re ranked statistically as number one overall you’re not overrated. Statistical rankings aren’t an opinion they’re a fact. San Francisco has a a very solid defense, despite some fans attempting to downplay it.

Its funny how he laid out records and showed how they got those stats and you offer such a weak counter point. Laughable honestly

 

[Jumbo075]

No offense but ultimately at the end of the day, it is about being RIGHT... I don't like living in hopes and prayer land. Gotta look at the facts. The Cowboys have been a rollar coaster all year, absolutely not a team of consistency. The 49ers have been blowing teams away for 11+ weeks. These are facts SKIP.. It's not lazy understanding and thinking in realistic terms. You are mad because those spins don't go your way so you justify it as being bullied. A lot of that going on these days....

I'm not angry. I'm bored. And I thought it would be satisfying sharing what an actual clever insult looks like, rather than use a lazy "homer" accusation.

 

[Jstopper]

That's right. Just ignore the extensive amount of research that was done to justify the posts I made and all the evidence that was shared. I'm just a homer. I'm sure that you learned the best way to argue is to call the other guy names. Don't bother refuting the evidence provided. Just call names. That's the ticket.

Bro don't even play attention to CLOWNS like him. I for one appreciate the effort you put into your post, while the chicken littles will ignore it and default to "no the big bad 49ers are unstoppable". I think its absolutely hilarious how last year half the board said our offense was a fraud because it beat up on bad teams all last year, but they won't keep that same energy for the 49ers killing sorry teams all year long. Our fan base has developed a loser mentality with the grass always being greener on the other side from all the losing we've done. They have PTSD and don't even realize it. Its sad honestly.

 

[Jstopper]

No offense but ultimately at the end of the day, it is about being RIGHT... I don't like living in hopes and prayer land. Gotta look at the facts. The Cowboys have been a rollar coaster all year, absolutely not a team of consistency. The 49ers have been blowing teams away for 11+ weeks. These are facts SKIP.. It's not lazy understanding and thinking in realistic terms. You are mad because those spins don't go your way so you justify it as being bullied. A lot of that going on these days....

Again you are using zero nuance in your analysis, its lazy as hell. "durr 49ers won 11 straight so they are amazing unbeatable". Lets ignore that 90% of those teams were bottom feeders, so that we can continue to be scared. Those are facts. "cowboys are inconsistent". Yeah so inconsistent that they won 12 games while beating every division winner in the NFC (vikings, eagles, bucs). Yall in such a rush to crown everybody but your own team that you can't see the forest for the trees.

 

[Verdict]

I don't have a crystal ball to predict the future. But you can get a lot of predictions about the future pretty close by observing the past. I just finished watching a podcast online where the "experts" were talking about the betting line on the Cowboys, and how the Sports books think the Cowboys are a lot closer to the 49ers than a lot of the pundits think they are. Currently, the most bets are on the 49ers, but the majority of the money is on the Cowboys. The professional bettors are apparently favoring the Cowboys to at least cover the 3-1/2 point spread, if not win outright.

And there has to be a reason...

This goes back to a post I previously made about how the 49ers reputation may be built on an illusion of having a super powerful defense. Yes, they only play other professional teams, and every team in the NFL has super talented athletes. But some teams are more talented than others, and building a reputation of having an overpowering defense on the backs of winning a bunch of games against really poor opponents is a little suspicious. So, let's take a quick look at who the 49ers have played.

The Bottom 10 teams in the NFL (by final regular season record) are:

• 3-14 Bears
• 3-13-1 Texans
• 4-13 Cardinals
• 4-12-1 Colts
• 5-12 Broncos
• 5-12 Rams
• 6-11 Raiders
• 7-10 Falcons
• 7-10 Saints

The Cowboys played 4 games against these teams bottom feeders (Bears, Texans, Colts and Rams) going 4-0 in those games. By comparison, the 49ers played 10 of their 17 games against these bottom feeders - almost 59% of their games. The Cowboys may have had a scare against the Texans, but the 49ers lost 3 of these 10 games to the Bears, Broncos and Falcons.

The top 10 teams in the NFL (by final regular season record) are:

• 14-3 Eagles
• 14-3 Chiefs
• 13-3 Bills
• 13-4 49ers
• 13-4 Vikings
• 12-4 Bengals
• 12-5 Cowboys
• 10-7 Ravens
• 10-7 Chargers
• 9-7-1 Giants

The 49ers played only two of these teams, and both games were home games for San Francisco. They barely won by less than a touchdown against the Chargers, and got blown out by 3 touchdowns against the explosive offense of the Chiefs. So much for their vaunted defensive prowess when playing against a team with a legitimate offense. Meanwhile the the Cowboys played 6 games against these top 10 NFL teams, playing 3 at home and 3 on the road. The Cowboys record against the top teams in the NFL was a stellar 5-1, the best in the NFL.

I'm not suggesting that the 49ers shouldn't be taken seriously. They are a good team. Also, the 49ers of the 80's, and the Patriots of the last 20 years made a regular season habit of beating up on bad teams, and still established dynasties. So, it is important not to overlook San Francisco. But it is equally important for the Cowboys team to look at their own talent and ability, and have confidence they have the ability to win.

The 49ers are the current sexy pick to win the Super Bowl. And they might even do it, and overcome the almost 60 year history of no rookie QB leading his team to even play in the Super Bowl, much less win it. But I wouldn't bet on it, and wouldn't recommend anyone else do it either. Next season, when the 49ers are playing a 1st place schedule instead of a 3rd place schedule, and when they play the NFC East, which has 3 of the top 8 remaining teams in the NFL this year, we'll see if they can still match up. In the meantime, be prepared for a high chance that the Cowboys get revenge for the playoff loss at home last year by beating the 49ers tomorrow night.

Well said. I am looking at this the same way as you are. I’m for a Cowboys win tomorrow. I think the Cowboys are going to hand the 9ers an old fashioned butt whipping.

 

[jay94]

Raiders put 500 yards on their prolific D let that sink in!!!

Raiders have better weapons than the Cowboys.

 

[stiletto]

Again you are using zero nuance in your analysis, its lazy as hell. "durr 49ers won 11 straight so they are amazing unbeatable". Lets ignore that 90% of those teams were bottom feeders, so that we can continue to be scared. Those are facts. "cowboys are inconsistent". Yeah so inconsistent that they won 12 games while beating every division winner in the NFC (vikings, eagles, bucs). Yall in such a rush to crown everybody but your own team that you can't see the forest for the trees.

Just using facts. You call it lazy..I call it REALITY. The Cowboys couldn't even beat one of your "so called" bottom feeders in Washington. The stakes are different. We ALL saw what happened last year against this same 49ers team and this year they are even better. It's as simple as adding 1+1 but you want to curse your fellow fans for being able to add those things.. Good for you brother...

 

[Jumbo075]

Bro don't even play attention to CLOWNS like him. I for one appreciate the effort you put into your post, while the chicken littles will ignore it and default to "no the big bad 49ers are unstoppable". I think its absolutely hilarious how last year half the board said our offense was a fraud because it beat up on bad teams all last year, but they won't keep that same energy for the 49ers killing sorry teams all year long. Our fan base has developed a loser mentality with the grass always being greener on the other side from all the losing we've done. They have PTSD and don't even realize it. Its sad honestly.

I just put him on ignore, so I won't be wasting any more time on him.

 

[Jstopper]

Just using facts. You call it lazy..I call it REALITY. The Cowboys couldn't even beat one of your "so called" bottom feeders in Washington. The stakes are different. We ALL saw what happened last year against this same 49ers team and this year they are even better. It's as simple as adding 1+1 but you want to curse your fellow fans for being able to add those things.. Good for you brother...

The cowboys split with the commanders, beat them during a real game and slept walked through the rematch in week 18 that meant nothing so take that nonsense on somewhere. 49ers have beat up on scrubs all year and they have you shook. Meanwhile Dallas has been beating actual good teams. Its sad that you cant see something that simple.

 

[stiletto]

I just put him on ignore, so I won't be wasting any more time on him.

I'm not your enemy, just have different thought processes. Easy to ignore rather than objectively engage without name-calling. I think the ignore button points to a "L" for the person generally.

 

[Jstopper]

Raiders have better weapons than the Cowboys.

Yep I mean that Jarrett Stidham was really slinging it in his very first start. QBing clinic right there

 

[stiletto]

The cowboys split with the commanders, beat them during a real game and slept walked through the rematch in week 18 that meant nothing so take that nonsense on somewhere. 49ers have beat up on scrubs all year and they have you shook. Meanwhile Dallas has been beating actual good teams. Its sad that you cant see something that simple.

What's a real game? Are you saying the game in Washington wasn't a real game? Don't excuse away mediocrity...it is always a bad look. Excuse away the 49ers at your own peril...

 

[Jake]

I don't have a crystal ball to predict the future. But you can get a lot of predictions about the future pretty close by observing the past. I just finished watching a podcast online where the "experts" were talking about the betting line on the Cowboys, and how the Sports books think the Cowboys are a lot closer to the 49ers than a lot of the pundits think they are. Currently, the most bets are on the 49ers, but the majority of the money is on the Cowboys. The professional bettors are apparently favoring the Cowboys to at least cover the 3-1/2 point spread, if not win outright.

And there has to be a reason...

This goes back to a post I previously made about how the 49ers reputation may be built on an illusion of having a super powerful defense. Yes, they only play other professional teams, and every team in the NFL has super talented athletes. But some teams are more talented than others, and building a reputation of having an overpowering defense on the backs of winning a bunch of games against really poor opponents is a little suspicious. So, let's take a quick look at who the 49ers have played.

The Bottom 10 teams in the NFL (by final regular season record) are:

• 3-14 Bears
• 3-13-1 Texans
• 4-13 Cardinals
• 4-12-1 Colts
• 5-12 Broncos
• 5-12 Rams
• 6-11 Raiders
• 7-10 Falcons
• 7-10 Saints

The Cowboys played 4 games against these teams bottom feeders (Bears, Texans, Colts and Rams) going 4-0 in those games. By comparison, the 49ers played 10 of their 17 games against these bottom feeders - almost 59% of their games. The Cowboys may have had a scare against the Texans, but the 49ers lost 3 of these 10 games to the Bears, Broncos and Falcons.

The top 10 teams in the NFL (by final regular season record) are:

• 14-3 Eagles
• 14-3 Chiefs
• 13-3 Bills
• 13-4 49ers
• 13-4 Vikings
• 12-4 Bengals
• 12-5 Cowboys
• 10-7 Ravens
• 10-7 Chargers
• 9-7-1 Giants

The 49ers played only two of these teams, and both games were home games for San Francisco. They barely won by less than a touchdown against the Chargers, and got blown out by 3 touchdowns against the explosive offense of the Chiefs. So much for their vaunted defensive prowess when playing against a team with a legitimate offense. Meanwhile the the Cowboys played 6 games against these top 10 NFL teams, playing 3 at home and 3 on the road. The Cowboys record against the top teams in the NFL was a stellar 5-1, the best in the NFL.

I'm not suggesting that the 49ers shouldn't be taken seriously. They are a good team. Also, the 49ers of the 80's, and the Patriots of the last 20 years made a regular season habit of beating up on bad teams, and still established dynasties. So, it is important not to overlook San Francisco. But it is equally important for the Cowboys team to look at their own talent and ability, and have confidence they have the ability to win.

The 49ers are the current sexy pick to win the Super Bowl. And they might even do it, and overcome the almost 60 year history of no rookie QB leading his team to even play in the Super Bowl, much less win it. But I wouldn't bet on it, and wouldn't recommend anyone else do it either. Next season, when the 49ers are playing a 1st place schedule instead of a 3rd place schedule, and when they play the NFC East, which has 3 of the top 8 remaining teams in the NFL this year, we'll see if they can still match up. In the meantime, be prepared for a high chance that the Cowboys get revenge for the playoff loss at home last year by beating the 49ers tomorrow night.

Are they overrated? We'll find out very soon. I hope they are, but I also remember the last time Dallas played them. Cowboys need to flip the script this time.

 

[jay94]

Yep I mean that Jarrett Stidham was really slinging it in his very first start. QBing clinic right there

I didn't say better qb even if it was Carr wouldn't be the case.

 

[mcmvp]

I think just about everything is over rated or under rated because of today’s media. All the talking heads are clamoring for the next big hot take. Hyperbole rules…I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rolled my eyes at media comments this year.

It’s true that the 49ers schedule has not exactly been Murderer’s Row, but they still could be one of the best defenses the Cowboys have faced. But it’s also more about matchups. They are strong in the area that hurts the Cowboys…run D.

 

[noshame]

No not overrated
Dak is not Mahomes

 

[Blackrain]

Appreciate the good research jumbo and I am in agreement 49ers certainly have a very capable defense but they're not the 85 bears or the steel curtain.

If the Cowboys are prepared and don't shoot themselves in the foot continually like they did last year with penalties we have every chance of coming out of that game victorious.

I said in other threads I'm tired of the media pumping the 49ers up like they are some unbeatable team after they have feasted on a bunch of losers all season.

It's a warm weather game fortunately and will no doubt be a battle but honestly I'm more concerned about our kicker than I am their defense.

 

[Diehardblues]

Fair to say also that wagers skew Cowboys way in general because of the large fan base.

Yes, but our large fanbase doesn’t explain that there were more people wagering on SF. They just didn’t wager as much money as the Cowboy fans .

How can we explain this ?

 

[Jumbo075]

Appreciate the good research jumbo and I am in agreement 49ers certainly have a very capable defense but they're not the 85 bears or the steel curtain.

If the Cowboys are prepared and don't shoot themselves in the foot continually like they did last year with penalties we have every chance of coming out of that game victorious.

I said in other threads I'm tired of the media pumping the 49ers up like they are some unbeatable team after they have feasted on a bunch of losers all season.

It's a warm weather game fortunately and will no doubt be a battle but honestly I'm more concerned about our kicker than I am their defense.

You did get what I've been trying to convey - the 49ers defense is certainly good, and one of the better defenses in the NFL, but it is certainly not a historically great defense. I think the Cowboys and Eagles also have very good defensive teams that have been tested by competing against better offenses. And both the Eagles and the Cowboys have much, much better offenses than the 49ers have faced all season, except when they faced the Chiefs. If the Chiefs can pile drive the 49ers defense for 44 points, so can the Eagles or Cowboys.

I'm concerned more with the run after the catch prowess of the 49ers offense. Brock Purdy certainly isn't a great QB, but he gets the ball to his playmakers and lets them do the work. McCaffrey and Deebo are not to be taken lightly. The Cowboys defense has fallen off since the loss of Anthony Brown, and they certainly missed Vander Esch when he was temporarily sidelined. With Vander Esch and Hankins back in the middle, and with the hopeful emergence of Mukuamu and maybe Rhodes at CB, maybe the Cowboys defense can get back to the level they played at early in the season.

Will they? None of us knows. But I think the Eagles with Jalen Hurts back in the lineup will be a tougher test for the Cowboys than the 49ers, assuming the Cowboys win on Sunday night.

 

[Shane612]

No. But a team's strength is very fragile.
Today's strength can become average tomorrow.