San Francisco 49ers: Metrics that must improve in 2018

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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Drive Success Rate

Drive Success Rate is a metric that measures the percentage of down series that result in a first down or a touchdown and, until Garoppolo arrived, it was not one in which the 49ers were particularly excelling. However, with Garoppolo at the helm of the offense, the 49ers were on pace to set a new record for DSR, according to Chris Wesseling of the Around the NFL Podcast.

Garoppolo’s remarkable five-game run was still only enough to propel the Niners to 15th in the league for the entire season, though, and they will expect to see a return on their offensive investment with a vast improvement in DSR in 2018.

It is unrealistic to anticipate Garoppolo and the 49ers maintaining a record-setting kid of offensive production. Yet the talent on the offense is now as such that the Niners should be looking at ending 2018 in the top 10 in DSR.

Adjusted sack rate (Defense)

It is no secret the 49ers have struggled to sack the quarterback in recent years, despite stocking up on elite prospects along the defensive line.

They had just 30 sacks in 2017 but the Adjusted Sack Rate metric, which records sacks and intentional grounding penalties per pass attempt adjusted for down, distance and opponent, provides a more drastic illustration of how much they struggled. The 49ers’ ranked No. 29 in the league with an ASR of 5.0%, with only two teams posting a lower percentage.

Contrast that to the ASRs of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who led the league in the metric with 9.8%, and the elite defensive fronts of the Jacksonville Jaguars (9.1% – 2nd) and Los Angeles Rams (7.9% -5th), and it is clear a front seven stacked with talent has a lot of work to do when it comes to rushing the passer.