The 49ers' defense has been elite throughout the 2023 NFL season and is holding opponents to a mere 15.7 points per game.
San Francisco continued limiting opposing offenses to mediocre performances in Week 11, holding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a manageable 287 yards of total offense in the 49ers’ 27-14 win on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
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Besides being arguably the NFL’s best defense this season, San Francisco has been a force in one particular defensive category for multiple seasons.
The 49ers have not allowed a 100-yard rusher for 37 consecutive games dating back to a 31-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 of the 2021 season.
The 49ers own the longest active streak in the NFL and the third-longest streak since the year 2000, behind the Baltimore Ravens' 39-game streak from Dec 17, 2006 to Oct 4, 2009, and the New Orleans Saints’ 50-game streak from Nov 26, 2017, to Dec 6, 2020.
San Francisco already was in the top five, with a 36-game streak from Nov 29, 2009, to December 19, 2001.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers now own the NFL’s third- and fourth-longest streaks, sharing the fourth spot with the Minnesota Vikings who shut down rushers from Nov 18, 2007 to Dec 19, 2011.
This season, San Francisco excels against the run and only has allowed 814 total yards on the ground, second to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 49ers also are ninth in rushing first downs allowed with 56 through 10 games, proving they’re a hard team to move the chains against.
Wilks’ top-tier defense must keep pace for at least 14 more games heading into the 2024 season to surpass the Saints’ 50-game stretch.