SANTA CLARA – Through half of the season, all of the preseason hand-wringing about the exorbitant number of plays the 49ers’ defense would face this season look to be justified.
In the 49ers’ 41-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the team’s thoroughly overmatched defense was on the field to face 87 plays from scrimmage.
The 49ers averaged 8.5 yards per play in its best showing of the season, while the Saints accounted for 7.0 yards per play. But the 49ers’ offense took just 60 snaps.
Through eight games, the 49ers’ offense has averaged 63.