The San Francisco 49ers Will Rely on Defense

Many NFL fans and experts alike feel that teams begin to take on the personality of their coach over time. If this is true then the San Francisco 49ers could be one of the most aggressive and overbearing defenses in the NFC this year. The Niners will be led by storied head coach Mike Singletary and Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky. With these two gritty personalities leading the way, the 49ers are poised to be a team that brings a lot of pain and trouble to other offenses throughout the league.

The defensive advantage will be necessary if the team hopes to compete in the NFC West against two of the most powerful offenses in the league,. The Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams can turn it on in any game and put up numbers that the 49ers may not be able to match. Last year the league got to see a small glimpse of what San Fran's defense looked like after Singletary took over the team. While they only finished 13^th in the league when it came to defense, they only allowed an average of 17 points per game after Singletary became the new coach.

While Singletary got a lot of the credit, it was Manusky who simplified the defensive schemes and allowed the young players to play with more confidence and a lot less pressure. The team went with a 3-4 defense that made everything easier for the young players and allowed them to focus on their raw talent. Players like Patrick Willis, the 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year, became even better. The addition of veteran players such as DE Justin Smith and linebacker Takeo Spikes gives Willis help on the defensive side of the ball and will be relied upon this year to stabilize the D. Smith will be teamed up with Aubrayo Franklin and Isaac Sopoaga to form quite an intimidating front line.

While those veterans will be relied upon a lot, there is hope that two former first round picks will start to make an impact as well. The 49ers will be looking to Manny Lawson and Kentwan Balmer to step up and build upon the impressive offseasons they have been having. Lawson was expected to do big things earlier, but has been unable to get used to the NFL game but should fit nicely into the 3-4 scheme this year. He had too much responsibility earlier on but the veteran presence on the team should help him relax this year and focus on his game. Balmer was unable to crack the starting lineup last year after being a first round pick in 2008, but the team has high hopes for him and all the coaches praise his work ethic.