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There have been 13 games this season where a team has allowed 100 or fewer passing yards. The San Francisco 49ers have caused 5 of those games.

Through 11 games, San Francisco has allowed just 1,506 passing yards. That’s the fewest by any team through 11 games since the 1989 Minnesota Vikings, and it’s the second lowest amount for any team after 11 games since 1980.

This year, the average team is gaining 235 passing yards per game, which is of course net of sack yards lost. The 49ers are allowing just 137 passing yards per game to opponents, for well, a variety of reasons:

  • The 49ers have caused opponents to lose 348 yards due to sacks this year, the most in the NFL.
  • The 49ers are allowing just 9.4 yards per completion, the lowest rate in the NFL.
  • The 49ers have sacked opponents on 11.8% of dropbacks, the best rate in the NFL.
  • The 49ers are allowing a 60.0% completion percentage, tied for the 2nd-best rate in the NFL. That’s why San Francisco is allowing just 4.0 net yards per pass attempt, the lowest in the NFL.
  • Despite the 49ers usually playing with a lead, opponents appear afraid of throwing on San Francisco, probably because it is so hopeless.
  • And yes, they’ve had some help: a driving rainstorm in a game against Washington, and a run defense that is actually quite porous. Teams have actually been more efficient running against San Francisco than throwing against that defense.

So how good is this pass defense through 11 games once you account for era — at least, in terms of preventing passing yards? Well, maybe the best ever? San Francisco is allowing 98.5 fewer passing yards per game than league average through 11 games, which is the best performance by any pass defense since 1950. The table below shows the top 100 pass defenses by this metric:

RkTeamYearYardsGPass Yd/GLg AvgDiff
1SFO2019150611136.9235.4-98.5
2GNB196710261193.3183.6-90.3
3MIN1989132211120.2210.1-89.9
4MIA1982135511123.2203.6-80.5
5MIN1969111611101.5179.4-77.9
6NWE2019173811158.0235.4-77.4
7GNB1962129011117.3188.5-71.2
8PIT2012182311165.7236.6-70.8
9HOU2013189011171.8239.1-67.3
10PIT2007167311152.1216.8-64.8
11OAK1966140311127.5190.3-62.8
12KAN1989162111147.4210.1-62.8
13BUF1960148911135.4196.6-61.3
14CLE1954142511129.5190.7-61.2
15TAM2002172111156.5217.1-60.6
16DET1962140911128.1188.5-60.4
17GNB1968124311113.0172.3-59.3
18BUF198213009144.4203.6-59.2
19BAL1961128711117.0176.1-59.1
20CLE195710181192.5151.4-58.9
21SEA2013198411180.4239.1-58.7
22PHI1954145211132.0190.7-58.7
23JAX2017185611168.7227.4-58.7
24MIA2004167511152.3210.3-58.0
25SFO19778971181.5139.3-57.8
26DEN1981168311153.0210.1-57.1
27MIN1970114911104.5161.3-56.8
28PHI1991159711145.2201.6-56.4
29CLE2011192211174.7230.6-55.8
30GNB1965141311128.5184.2-55.7
31NOR1984167311152.1207.6-55.5
32SEA198213339148.1203.6-55.5
33IND2007178111161.9216.8-54.9
34CLE1988162511147.7202.6-54.9
35CHI1963144911131.7186.6-54.9
36WAS1980159811145.3200.1-54.8
37HOU2011193411175.8230.6-54.7
38DET1967142311129.4183.6-54.3
39BUF2018213111193.7247.8-54.1
40OAK1963161511146.8200.9-54.1
41DEN2016213311193.9247.3-53.4
42ARI2016214611195.1247.3-52.3
43CLE195610721197.5149.6-52.2
44ATL19779591187.2139.3-52.1
45RAI1984171111155.5207.6-52.1
46RAI1993160611146.0198.1-52.1
47HOU1968134911122.6174.5-51.8
48DAL1986165711150.6201.8-51.2
49BUF2019202711184.3235.4-51.2
50DEN2015216811197.1248.0-50.9
51MIN1967146111132.8183.6-50.8
52PIT1955120811109.8160.0-50.2
53NYG2002184011167.3217.1-49.8
54DAL1997168511153.2202.8-49.7
55CLE1950141411128.5178.1-49.5
56OAK2006172111156.5205.8-49.3
57SFO2012206011187.3236.6-49.3
58PIT2011199411181.3230.6-49.3
59WAS2009187411170.4219.4-49.0
60PHI1950142511129.5178.1-48.5
61MIA1990161711147.0195.4-48.4
62IND2002185711168.8217.1-48.3
63DAL2003171711156.1204.2-48.1
64ATL1974117111106.5154.5-48.0
65CHI1984175711159.7207.6-47.9
66NYJ1967147911134.5182.0-47.5
67CLE1984176211160.2207.6-47.5
68JAX2011201711183.4230.6-47.2
69CHI1960134711122.5169.5-47.0
70GNB1966139711127.0174.0-47.0
71GNB1964140111127.4174.0-46.6
72TEN2000181111164.6210.6-45.9
73CHI2005177711161.5207.4-45.8
74PHI1998170611155.1200.9-45.8
75MIN1975130711118.8164.4-45.6
76BUF1967150111136.5182.0-45.5
77RAM1978121811110.7156.1-45.4
78PIT2008185711168.8213.7-44.9
79MIA197310671197.0141.9-44.9
80DAL1994184011167.3212.2-44.9
81KAN1988173611157.8202.6-44.8
82MIA1979144211131.1175.9-44.8
83MIN1968140311127.5172.3-44.7
84DAL197710421194.7139.3-44.6
85BAL2018223611203.3247.8-44.6
86PHI2001177911161.7206.1-44.4
87CHI1967153311139.4183.6-44.3
88TAM2004182711166.1210.3-44.2
89NYG1963156711142.5186.6-44.1
90NYG1950147511134.1178.1-44.0
91NOR1991173411157.6201.6-44.0
92GNB1969149111135.5179.4-43.8
93NYJ2009193311175.7219.4-43.7
94MIN1988174911159.0202.6-43.6
95BUF1980172411156.7200.1-43.4
96OAK1975133411121.3164.4-43.1
97JAX2016224711204.3247.3-43.1
98CHI2006179211162.9205.8-42.9
99CLE1962160411145.8188.5-42.7
100PIT1999178211162.0204.6-42.6

In terms of passing yards allowed on a per attempt basis, the 49ers are only slightly worse, behind a pair of Vikings and pair of Packers defenses. San Francisco is allowing 4.03 Net Yards per Pass Attempt this season, while the average pass defense is allowing 6.32 NY/A. As a result, the 49ers are allowing 2.29 fewer net yards per attempt than average, which is really, really good. Of course, the same is true for the 2019 Patriots, who are also in the exclusive -2.0 club:

RkTeamYearYardsGNY/AAvgDiff
1MIN19691116113.135.78-2.64
2MIN19891322113.766.23-2.48
3GNB19671026113.555.88-2.33
4GNB19621290114.206.50-2.29
5SFO20191506114.036.32-2.29
6DET19621409114.406.50-2.09
7NWE20191738114.286.32-2.04
8PHI19541452114.136.04-1.91
9TAM20021721114.125.99-1.87
10DAL19771042113.215.06-1.86
11MIN19701149113.715.53-1.82
12MIA19821355114.165.97-1.81
13PIT20081857114.426.22-1.80
14BAL19611287114.326.08-1.76
15CLE19571018114.396.13-1.74
16ATL1977959113.355.06-1.71
17PIT20071673114.456.14-1.69
18CHI19601347114.225.90-1.67
19PHI19801896114.466.13-1.66
20SDG19611676113.925.58-1.66
21OAK19671571113.795.44-1.65
22PIT19741277113.765.40-1.64
23MIA19731067113.695.32-1.63
24GNB19651413114.506.12-1.62
25OAK19751334113.965.56-1.60
26JAX20171856114.636.22-1.59
27OAK19631615114.265.85-1.59
28KAN19691602114.185.77-1.58
29NOR19911734114.616.19-1.58
30MIN19711306113.975.54-1.57
31CHI19631449114.606.17-1.57
32RAM19781218113.975.53-1.57
33BUF19601489114.045.60-1.56
34SFO19761265113.815.37-1.56
35OAK19681544114.215.72-1.51
36HOU20111934114.866.33-1.47
37NOR19921686114.395.86-1.47
38CHI19581573114.756.22-1.47
39BAL19681707114.465.93-1.47
40NYJ19671479113.985.44-1.46
41DAL19861657114.405.86-1.46
42OAK19661403114.205.66-1.46
43CLE19561072114.646.08-1.44
44KAN19701497114.115.53-1.41
45DEN19811683114.706.11-1.41
46DEN20162133115.046.45-1.41
47CLE19511540114.505.90-1.40
48MIA19721294114.395.78-1.39
49CHI20051777114.636.02-1.39
50NYG19631567114.786.17-1.39
51TAM20002053114.535.92-1.39
52CIN19721311114.405.78-1.38
53MIA19901617114.585.95-1.37
54BAL20182236115.266.63-1.37
55MIN19751307114.195.56-1.37
56WAS19911945114.836.19-1.36
57GNB19661397114.205.55-1.35
58SDG19801810114.786.13-1.35
59NYG19591411114.806.14-1.34
60DEN20152168115.156.49-1.34
61CLE19621604115.166.50-1.34
62PIT19751465114.225.56-1.34
63ATL19731236113.995.32-1.33
64CAR20152462115.166.49-1.33
65RAI19841711114.676.00-1.33
66RAM19511373114.585.90-1.32
67BUF20192027115.006.32-1.31
68HOU19681349114.415.72-1.31
69NYG19501475115.026.33-1.31
70RAM19681531114.645.93-1.29
71SEA20131984114.966.25-1.29
72PHI20001853114.645.92-1.27
73PHI19531609114.165.42-1.27
74DAL19941840114.685.94-1.26
75BAL19581753114.976.22-1.26
76CIN19761390114.115.37-1.26
77RAM19751490114.315.56-1.25
78PIT20111994115.096.33-1.25
79SFO19971764114.485.72-1.25
80PHI19911597114.946.19-1.24
81HOU19611817114.345.58-1.24
82TAM19791560114.525.76-1.24
83BAL19711330114.305.54-1.24
84DAL20031717114.675.90-1.24
85IND20071781114.916.14-1.23
86TEN20082084114.996.22-1.23
87CIN20132322115.026.25-1.23
88OAK19691833114.545.77-1.23
89SFO1977897113.835.06-1.23
90PIT20041857114.936.15-1.23
91CHI20061792114.735.95-1.22
92GNB19681243114.715.93-1.22
93ATL19781437114.325.53-1.22
94CHI19571578114.926.13-1.22
95PHI20011779114.735.95-1.22
96ATL19711264114.335.54-1.21
97SFO20122060115.126.34-1.21
98NYG19611665114.876.08-1.21
99MIN20162275115.246.45-1.21
100RAM19801919114.926.13-1.20

So if you’ve been watching this 49ers defense and think they are remarkable at not allowing passing yards… you are correct.

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