Kyle Shanahan Faces Another Defensive Coordinator Search

It seems like Kyle Shanahan is on the hunt for yet another defensive coordinator, right?

If the 49ers’ defensive performance in their 27-7 victory over the Rams indicates anything, Raheem Morris might not be searching for long to find a head-coaching gig.

Morris’ revamped defense made Matthew Stafford appear unsettled and rendered Sean McVay’s usually sharp offense ineffective, something not many teams have achieved.

The Rams managed only two conversions on nine third-down attempts. They recorded just fifteen first downs total and departed the red zone empty-handed more often than not, including a goal-line stand that the 49ers turned into a 99-yard drive, which proved crucial in the game.

“This is a humbling day for us,” McVay reflected after the game.

Not many defensive coordinators have been able to get the Rams’ offensive genius to express such sentiments.

How much of Los Angeles’ poor showing can be attributed to the nearly 8,000-mile trip less than two days before is hard to say for sure. Both McVay and Stafford, for what it’s worth, played down the impact of their travel fatigue.

But it’s clear that Morris’ scheme played a significant role in their offensive struggles.

That’s because—let’s be honest—nobody has shut down last season’s MVP like that except for Morris (who had the distinct advantage of working alongside McVay in practice as the Rams’ DC from 2021 to 2023).

During his stint as the Falcons’ head coach last season, Morris’ defense contributed to three of Stafford’s eight interceptions in a Week 16 win. That game was the only one where Stafford threw more interceptions than touchdowns. Fast forward to their latest matchup, and he did it again.

One of the new strategies Morris brought to the 49ers’ defense was the ability to disguise coverages. This approach has clearly caused issues for even some of the smartest quarterbacks.

Morris’ background is in the secondary, and given how they handled Stafford, the 49ers’ defensive backs must be eagerly anticipating their upcoming matchups against Malik Willis and Jacoby Brissett.

Last season, under Robert Saleh, the 49ers allowed the eighth-most passing yards, averaging 232 per game. Meanwhile, Stafford and the Rams led the league with an average of 268.

In their Week 1 win, San Francisco limited him to just 155 yards—Stafford’s fourth lowest in the 75 games he’s played since joining McVay. His QB rating of 61.2 was his second lowest as a Ram. This was a dominating performance, a stark contrast to last year.

Richard Sherman, who knows a thing or two about a formidable defense, had just one word to capture the 49ers’ display: “manhandled.”

“The defense—one of the big questions all offseason—really stepped up in this game,” Sherman mentioned on his podcast. “They appeared to be a completely different unit.”

Morris, the 49ers’ fifth defensive coordinator in as many seasons, has overhauled their defensive playbook more than any other time since Shanahan took the reins in 2017. But that’s not the only difference since the close of last season.

Out of the 11 players who began on defense during their NFC divisional loss, only three returned for the season opener eight months later—cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green, plus safety Marques Sigle. Only two others (linebacker Garret Wallow and safety Malik Mustapha) remain on the roster.

The defense might have a new look with Morris, but it has regained its core with the returns of Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Dre Greenlaw. None of them played since Week 6 last season, and they hadn’t all been on the field together since 2024.

It certainly felt reminiscent of the past.

Bosa set the tone right from the start, pushing aside Warren McClendon Jr. and forcing Stafford into an incompletion on the Rams’ first play. The linebackers combined to create a turnover when Greenlaw tackled Tyler Higbee and Warner dislodged the ball. Green, who didn’t play well in the playoff loss to Seattle, had his moment in the spotlight with an interception.

Did you possibly notice that San Francisco didn’t even record a sack?

While the 49ers didn’t take Stafford down, he was under constant pressure, a significant improvement over last season. They didn’t enhance their ranking of last in sacks from the previous year, yet they managed to hit Stafford eight times and recorded 14 pressures on 25 dropbacks.

This could equate to almost 14% of their total QB hits from last year, a category where they ranked last with 58. If they can maintain this level of performance throughout 17 games, they’d finish with 136, which would have placed them second last season.

Five pressures and four hits were recorded by Osa Odighizuwa, a player acquired specifically to strengthen the pass rush from the defensive line’s interior.

This acquisition might only be the second-best move the 49ers made regarding their defense.

Opposing teams will likely start to notice because, as Sherman said, “When you play defense like that, you ain’t gonna have Raheem Morris for long.”