One area is saving the San Francisco 49ers defense 

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. 

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.