The San Francisco 49ers will enjoy their bye week with a 6-1 record and leading the NFC West. A loss to Atlanta was frustrating, but all things considered, the 49ers are in a great spot with one loss through seven weeks. The loss itself isn’t the end of the world, but it was frustrating, as the 49ers had every opportunity to leave Atlanta with a win.
Nobody expected the 49ers to go undefeated, and they will lose more games this season. If someone told you the 49ers would be 6-1 heading into their bye week, you would take that 10/10 times.
The team will return impact players next week against the Raiders, potentially including Nick Bosa. Let’s take a look at the 49ers defense during the bye week.
Overall defense rankings
The 49ers rank fourth in the NFL, allowing 299.3 yards per game and 13 touchdowns on the season. Some would attribute the fine start to the opponents, but it’s clear this defense is a step or two above last season. Although Sunday was rough for the defensive line and pass rush, the overall body of work is impressive, with the 49ers on pace to shatter last season’s sack total.
Passing defense
Defending the pass has the 49ers slipping to number ten with 210.3 yards per game and ten passing touchdowns allowed. Still, a top-ten passing defense is excellent, and the secondary has room for improvement. Sunday saw Atlanta attack underneath more and take advantage of soft cushions and Cover 3 zones. The key to that working is generating pass rush up front.
Renardo Green has been very good at times this season, and the safety room has turned into a strength with Malik Mustapha, Marques Sigle, and Ji’Ayir Brown all contributing well. The 49ers need more from Deommodore Lenoir and Upton Stout in coverage, but the opportunity to improve and become stingier is there.
Rushing defense
With a top-five run defense, the 49ers allow 89 rushing yards per game and just three touchdowns on the ground. Bosa’s return will only boost the run defense. As a run defender, Bosa has been underrated, and with Mykel Williams opposite him, the defense stands to be tougher against the run.
Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw help clean up against the run as long as the big boys up front hold their blocks and allow the two linebackers to shoot running lanes and gaps.
Scoring defense/third down defense/red zone defense
The 49ers allow 19.9 points per game, which is good for the sixth-best defense. As far as third-down defense, the 49ers fall out of the top ten with a 37.9% third-down rate. Getting off the field has been an issue at times. Sometimes it is allowing an offense to convert, or, as we saw on Sunday, committing penalties that allow drives to continue.
Red zone defense sees the 49ers return to the top ten at number nine with a 47.8% red zone touchdown rate. The top two defenses in the red zone are Minnesota at 23.1% and Kansas City at 26.7%. The 49ers face both teams in 2026.
What do you think about the 49ers’ defense in 2026? Are you concerned about one area or many? Let us know in the comments!