Fred Warner Says the 49ers Run Defense is Beating Itself

The 49ers are only as good as their run defense this season.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) tackles Buffalo Bills tight end Quintin Morris (85) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The 49ers are only as good as their run defense this season.

Sure, they have lots of injuries and issues. But despite all that, when they play good run defense, they generally win. And when they don't play good run defense, they generally lose.

In five wins this season, the 49ers defense has given up just 71.8 rushing yards per game. That's good. But in their seven losses, they've given up a whopping 154.3 rushing yard per game. That's terrible.

Run defense has less to do with talent and more to do with effort and attention to detail. And clearly the 49ers' effort and attention to detail have been inconsistent.

Here's what All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said about the run defense this week in the locker room.

Q: The run defense has struggled the past two games. How difficult has this been for you?

WARNER: "It has been so frustrating because I know what it's supposed to look like and that's not it. Having played dominant defense here for so long, you know what it's supposed to look like and you think you're doing things the right way throughout the week to give yourself the best chance to go out there and play dominant and have a chance of winning the game. And things aren't going how you want them to. You have to look internally to see how you can be better individually and then look as a group how to be better. You just have to be on it."

Q: How do you plan on fixing the run defense?

WARNER: "It comes down to everybody just doing their job as simple as that sounds. There's plays where we're not all aligned and we're not all on the same page when it comes to the call. We as players have to be on it. And not just or the first series on the second series -- all the way through a game. We have to hold ourselves to a high standard and play exactly how we know how to play."

Q: Is it stick with your assignments and doing what you're supposed to do instead of trying to make a play?

WARNER: "It's a combination of things, but at the end of the day, the small details that we're giving up that should be non-negotiables are showing up in terms of mistakes being made. We can put up with a guy on their team making an outstanding play. But at the end of the day, if we're beating ourselves, we're never going to give ourselves a chance to win."

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