Until the last seven minutes of the Super Bowl, defense was the strength of the 49ers last season.
Robert Saleh’s defense was among the best in the NFL in 2019. The 49ers allowed the fewest passing yards of any NFL defense in a decade. The 49ers ranked No. 2 in total yards allowed.
But still, the 49ers’ goal for next season is simple, though it won’t be easy to reach.
“We’re trying to be better than last year,” 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said during the team’s State of Franchise virtual event at 49ers.com.
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The 49ers return the vast majority of their defense from a year ago. Defensive tackles DeForest Buckner (trade) and Sheldon Day (free agent) are now members of the Indianapolis Colts. The 49ers added South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw with the No. 14 overall pick in the draft to make up for those losses.
The minimal movement of off-season players and compatibility with returning players could be beneficial to the 49ers defense, especially since off-season programs around the NFL were canceled this spring due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think it is the way we work together as an advocacy group,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “The fact that we have so much chemistry between us. You can see that on the soccer field. You can tell why when we turn on the tape, it looks different from everyone else. It just does. And I think it’s because we play very hard for each other. “
The 49ers limited the offense by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to just 10 points in 3 1/2 quarters of the Super Bowl LIV. But Kansas City had 21 points in the final minutes to send the 49ers to a 31-20 loss to end the season.
The fact that the 49ers fell short in the Super Bowl only serves as motivation to clear the bar that was set last season, All-Decade cornerback Richard Sherman said.
“We are just a group of players who play hard, who care about each other, who care about the game, who want to succeed and want to sacrifice for each other,” Sherman said. “I think every time you bring that combination with the talent we have at all three levels of defense, you will have a recipe for success.
“With the leadership and talent that we have back, we can be even better. We leave some works around, including myself. We have some unfinished business. “
[[[[RELATED: Richard Sherman of the 49ers doesn’t think about allowing a great play in the Super Bowl]The 49ers made dramatic improvements last season after some outside the organization called for Saleh’s removal as a defensive coordinator after the 2017 and ’18 seasons.
“I think we made great leaps as a defense (last year), but I think we can make even better progress in the future,” said defensive lineman Arik Armstead. “So we cleaned up some of the mistakes from last year and strived to be better than us.”
