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The 49ers offense is peaking while the defense fades

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Dec 16, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers offense is just starting to fire on all cylinders. They got Ricky Pearsall back into the mix, and Brock Purdy played his best game. However, on the other end, the defense showed to be just as concerning.

How concerning is the San Francisco 49ers defense?

Winning by 13 points is usually not a big deal. However, they were facing one of the worst offenses in the NFL, and they scored 37 points themselves. If the defense had any ability to shut a game down, they would have realized that the Titans offense was limited, and the game would have been far more out of hand.

Still, Gunnar Helm had a long touchdown catch, marking it two straight weeks that rookie tight ends caught big touchdowns from rookie quarterbacks against the 49ers defense. Tony Pollard had over 100 yards, and the run defense is really starting to show cracks now that Mykel Williams and Tatum Bethune are out.

The secondary has always been a liability, and the pass rush is not doing anything to change that. A better offense would have had a huge day based on how San Francisco played against the Titans.

The defense has had big leads over both Arizona and Tennessee, and the games turned into shoot outs, rather than full game dominations in all phases, and that is the defense to blame. The issue here is that the team is doing this against Arizona and Tennessee, two teams destined to pick inside the top ten this season.

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When this unit has to face the real offenses, such as the Los Angeles Rams, they may struggle to keep them under 40 points.

On the flip side, the offense is starting to find themselves. Brock Purdy made plays when extending the play, and he made passes down the field. Ricky Pearsall is banged up again, but his presence always takes the offense up another level.

If this group can get any help from their defense, then they are going to be a tough out in the playoffs. However, that does not appear to be the case, and if the defense keeps playing like this, the offense will have to be perfect to avoid elimination.

The 49ers play three potential playoff teams, although the Indianapolis Colts offense looks much different right now. Still, they cannot make Phillip Rivers look good. If they struggle in the final two weeks against Chicago and Seattle, it will at least prepare fans for what may happen in the playoffs.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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