In May, in his first meeting with reporters since he was hired, 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil said he told his players they needed to have three attributes to succeed in his system.
“The first one,” he said, “was being relentless.”
Six months and an NFL-record seven consecutive 100-yard rushers later, O’Neil was asked about the word he’s used repeatedly this season: Why hasn’t the 49ers’ league-worst run defense been relentless this season?
In response, O’Neil disagreed and cited a specific play to make his point. But he offered an odd example to make his case: O’Neil noted safety Eric Reid didn’t stop sprinting Sunday when New Orleans running back Mark Ingram wasn’t touched on a 75-yard touchdown burst, the longest scoring run against the 49ers since 2007.