The old saying is offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. While the Packers offense and Aaron Rodgers are putting up epic numbers, the San Francisco 49ers defense is having an equally impressive year.
And while the Packers are targeting a perfect season (putting them alongside the 1972 Dolphins as the only other team to accomplish that), the 49ers are on track to do something that no NFL team has ever done. Through 12 games, they haven’t allowed a single rushing touchdown.
The potential meeting of the 49ers and Packers in the NFC Championship game could pit the classic unstoppable force against the immovable object.
Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers defense has undergone a major transformation this year. Although they had some talented players last year, like linebackers Patrick Willis and Novarro Bowman to name two, they were a middle-of-the-pack defense. They ranked 16th in the league last year in points allowed per game with 21.6, and ranked 13th in yards allowed per game with 328.
This year, with minimal changes to personnel, they are ranked first in points allowed, giving up only 13.4 points per game. They are also ranked 4th in total yardage, and first in rushing yards, giving up only 71.8 rushing yards per game.
As if those numbers weren’t impressive enough, there is The Streak – no rushing touchdowns through 12 games. No NFL team has ever gone an entire season without allowing a rushing touchdown. The record is two, which is shared by four teams – the 1971 Minnesota Vikings, the 1968 Dallas Cowboys, the 1944 New York Giants and the 1934 Detroit Lions, and no one has done it with a 16 game schedule.
“Everybody is involved in it now — defensive backs, linebackers, linemen,” safety Donte Whitner said. “They all understand the streak is on everybody. You don’t want to be the guy that allows someone to get in the end zone.”
They’ve had some close calls, as defensive coordinator Vic Fanio will be the first to acknowledge. “Some luck is involved,” Fangio said, “but it’s good play … The part that’s overlooked is how our defensive backs have made some critical tackles (on runs) that would have been touchdowns.”
San Francisco’s 12-game streak is already an NFL record since the 1970 merger for most consecutive games not allowing a rushing TD in a single season. The all time record for a single season, which the 49ers could tie this weekend, goes to the 1920 Decatur Staleys. The Staleys did not allow a rushing touchdown in any of their 13 games, but those records aren’t counted against current NFL records due to the very different level of competition 91 years ago.
The 49ers have one other impressive defense streak, too. They haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 34 games extending back through last season. Last weekend, Steven Jackson was held to 19 yards on 11 carries, and the Rams put up a total of 31 rushing yards on 23 carries, a stingy average of only 1.3 yards per attempt.
This week, the 49ers face the Arizona Cardinals and their 19th ranked rushing attack led by Beanie Wells. Wells has had some big games, including 228 yards against the Rams two weeks ago, and has scored two TDs in the past two weeks. We’ll see how he fares against the immovable object.
