The 49ers’ offense was still one of the more efficient in football last season, finishing 11th in EPA per play, 12th in success rate, and ninth in DVOA. Yet San Francisco’s attack undoubtedly took a substantial statistical step back from their juggernaut season of 2023, when the 49ers finished first in each of those categories.
Injuries played a significant role in that drop-off, but there was also a clear issue for the 49er passing game that contributed to the less impressive production, one that reared its head in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2023 season as San Francisco consistently struggled to beat the Kansas City Chiefs’ man coverage.