Former NFL OC Says the 49ers Need a Changeup to Their Wide 9 Defense

I recently asked former Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh what the 49ers’ biggest weakness on defense is. Here’s what he said.

WALSH: “I was shocked that the Lions didn’t try to run the ball more in the second half of the NFC Championship Game. You get that Wide 9 scheme, if you ever watch end-zone tape and you look at the Wide 9 defense, it’s like the Grand Canyon out there. There are huge gaps. Offenses can stretch them out horizontally and create creases just by alignment that physically are going to challenge the ability of the defenders to take on blocker and be able to squeeze the hole because the hole is going to be so big. Instead of a two-lane highway, it’s like 280.”

ME: And teams can put out two or three tight ends, widen the splits between the offensive linemen and make those holes in the Wide 9 defense even bigger.

WALSH: “Correct. And I’ll be interested see how many teams study Detroit’s first-half offense against the Niners this past year and find ways to utilize big personnel, whether it’s multiple tight ends or a sixth offensive lineman. That’s why the 49ers have to come up with an eight-in-the-box concept that can handle that.”

ME: Should they also use a five-man front sometimes?

WALSH: “You’ve got to have changeups you can go to. If what you’re doing isn’t holding up and you’re getting gashed you have to have a Plan B. You have to change the tempo of the game defensively just like you have to change the tempo of the game offensively.”