Fansided

5 reasons 49ers can win the Super Bowl this year

By William Schneiderhan

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 11: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 speaks with head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Divisional Round Playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 11: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 speaks with head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Divisional Round Playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 02: Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 02: Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

3. Great defense

Briefly touched upon in the last slide, the Niners will once again boast one of the most talented defenses in the NFL this upcoming season.

Just as a refresher, here are a few of the players that Saleh will go to war with in 2020:

Nick Bosa, Kwon Alexander, Richard Sherman, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Fred Warner, Javon Kinlaw, Jimmie Ward, Dre Greenlaw, and Jaquiski Tartt.

While Bucker was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts, the team drafted his replacement in Kinlaw, and Lynch also re-signed a low-risk, high-reward cornerback Jason Verrett.

In 2019, Saleh led a top-10 defense. They surrendered the eighth-fewest points (310), second-fewest yards (4,509), forced the sixth-most turnovers (27), and were tied for the fifth-most sacks (48).

Bosa, Armstead, and Ford torched opposing offensive lines for 25.5 combined sacks. In the secondary, Sherman made his first Pro Bowl since 2016 after he picked off three passes and defended 11 more in 15 games.

In 11 of the team’s 16 games, the 49ers held opponents to 20 points or less. Five of those games, the team limited the opposition to 10 or less, and they shut out the Washington Redskins on the road in Week 7. In the playoffs, San Francisco held the Green Bay Packers to 20 and the Minnesota Vikings to 10, before giving up 31 to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

However, there were a few games in which Saleh’s unit was simply beat. They allowed 30+ points three times, and in one of those matchups, Saleh’s group allowed the New Orleans Saints to eclipse 46. Although, the team still won that game.

Saleh and this defense led the team throughout the playoffs, and they nearly finished the job in the Super Bowl. But, Garoppolo didn’t make enough throws late, and Patrick Mahomes took advantage of them in the final minutes to capture the title with another comeback effort.

With that defeat in the Super Bowl, it may be fair to expect Saleh to use that heartbreaking outcome as bulletin board material for the entire 2020 season.