When The San Francisco 49ers gave up a first quarter touchdown in Week 1 to the New York Jets, it may have felt like nothing much had changed for the defense; 3rd down conversions, missed tackles, some strange coverages. After that initial drive, things clamped down. The defense adjusted, the Jets offense made some terrific catches against ridiculously tight coverages.
It seemed like a breath of fresh air for Week 1. Then the 49ers’ defensive woes returned the following week against Minnesota. None more definitive than helping form an atrocious 3rd down conversion percentage.