Avoiding steep defensive regression
For as good as the 49ers’ offense is, their road back to the Super Bowl includes another stellar showing from their defense. While it’s hard to imagine they improve on the 169.2 passing yards per game they allowed last season, avoiding a steep drop off from that is imperative. If they can still keep their pass defense in the top five-to-eight range while seeing an uptick in their 16th-ranked run defense, they’ll be fine. However, if they start getting inconsistent showings on defense where the unit as a whole starts to fall out of the top 10, it’s going to be a serious issue. Replacing Buckner and getting a repeat performance in the secondary is as vital as it is difficult.