Arguably, the best offseason addition the San Francisco 49ers made this year was hiring Raheem Morris as defensive coordinator.
The level at which he has the 49ers' defense performing is astonishing. Through five games this season, the 49ers are allowing 297.2 yards per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL.
Most importantly, they're only allowing 18.6 points per game, the third-lowest in the league. Those numbers are impressive, but even those stats don't perfectly represent Morris' impact.
Look no further than how the 49ers' secondary is playing. They've been lights-out, which you couldn't fathom last year. They weren't remotely impressive under Robert Saleh.
That's the key difference between Saleh and Morris. It's why Morris is already proving the 49ers right for hiring him. His secondary is performing incredibly well, and they're doing it without much help from their pass rush.
The 49ers rank as the 12th-lowest-pressure-rate defense at 34.2%. And I know they balled out against the Seattle Seahawks, sacking Sam Darnold five times.
However, that can be a credit to the secondary. Darnold wasn't confident enough to throw to his receivers since they were guarded so tightly.
And when he did have confidence, he was picked off twice by Renardo Green. He's been balling out this year, along with the rest of the defensive backs, and it's thanks to Morris' scheme.
“It doesn't surprise me with Raheem. I've just been around him for too long. He's one of the best people and best coaches I've ever been around," Kyle Shanahan said. "I tried to bring him here originally when I left Atlanta. They wouldn't let him out. So, it's been a long time coming to get him here.
"He's done an unbelievable job this year, especially with the injuries, but just overall everything he's mixed up schematically. I love the confidence he's given our DBs and the way they've been playing since training camp. He's had a real huge effect on this team and we're very lucky to have him.”
Morris has the secondary playing at a different level. They're playing with a ton of fire thanks to him. It's no wonder every defensive back said they were excited to play for Morris.
And to think, it's only been five games. How much better can this defense get as they continue to ascend?
Just imagine how this secondary will look with Bosa back, and maybe another pass rusher. They will take their already sweet defense to nightmarish heights.
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