SANTA CLARA – Through half of the season, all of the preseason hand-wringing about the exorbitant number of plays the 49ers’ defense would face this season look to be justified.
In the 49ers’ 41-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the team’s thoroughly overmatched defense was on the field to face 87 plays from scrimmage.
The 49ers averaged 8.5 yards per play in its best showing of the season, while the Saints accounted for 7.0 yards per play. But the 49ers’ offense took just 60 snaps.
Through eight games, the 49ers’ offense has averaged 63.4 snaps per game, while the defense has been forced to defend 71.4 snaps. In essence, the 49ers’ defense has played the equivalent of nine games while the team has stumbled to a 1-7 record.
Rookie defensive lineman DeForest Buckner continued his heavy workload, playing 77 snaps on Sunday. Quinton Dial was on the field the second-most among 49ers defensive linemen with 56 snaps. Buckner and Dial had the lowest grades of any 49ers defensive players on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus' grading system.
Glenn Dorsey, who has missed two of the past three games with a knee condition, played a season-high 46 snaps.
Sports
On offense, running back DuJuan Harris clearly established himself as the top backup to Carlos Hyde, who was sidelined for a second game in a row with a shoulder injury. Harris played 53 of the 49ers’ 60 snaps.
Here’s how the 49ers divided their playing time on offense, defense and special teams on Sunday in their 41-23 loss to the Saints:
Offense
60 snaps
60 -- QB Colin Kaepernick, LT Joe Staley, LG Zane Beadles, C Daniel Kilgore, RG Joshua Garnett, RT Trent Brown
55 -- WR Quinton Patton
53 -- RB DuJuan Harris
45 -- WR Jeremy Kerley, WR Torrey Smith
42 -- TE Vance McDonald
30 -- TE Garrett Celek
15 -- WR Aaron Burbridge
8 -- RB Mike Davis
6 -- WR Rod Streater
1 -- TE Blake Bell
Defense
87 snaps
87 -- CB Jimmie Ward, SS Antoine Bethea
85 -- CB Tramaine Brock
82 -- FS Eric Reid
78 -- LB Nick Bellore
77 -- DL DeForest Buckner
69 -- LB Ahmad Brooks
67 -- LB Eli Harold
56 -- DL Quinton Dial
54 -- LB Gerald Hodges
46 -- DL Glenn Dorsey
32 -- DL Tony Jerod-Eddie
29 -- CB Keith Reaser, LB Tank Carradine
25 -- DB Jaquiski Tartt
24 -- DL Ronald Blair
22 -- LB Michael Wilhoite
6 -- DL Arik Armstead
2 -- CB Dontae Johnson
Special teams
27 -- Shayne Skov, Johnson
19 -- Wilhoite
18 -- Reaser
17 -- Ward
15 -- Bell, Jerod-Eddie
14 -- Streater
13 -- Bradley Pinion, Burbridge, Dial, Blair
12 -- Shaun Draughn
11 -- Tartt
10 -- Bellore
8 -- Marcus Cromartie, Buckner, Brooks
7 -- Kyle Nelson, JaCorey Shepherd, McDonald, Celek, Reid, Harold
5 -- Phil Dawson, Je’Ron Hamm, Andrew Tiller, Beadles, Staley, Brown, Garnett
4 -- Kerley, Davis
3 -- Harris
2 -- Hodges
Did not play
QB Blaine Gabbert
C Marcus Martin
Not active
QB Christian Ponder
WR Keshawn Martin
CB Marcus Cromartie
RB Carlos Hyde (shoulder)
T John Theus
TE Je’Ron Hamm
DL Glenn Dorsey (knee)
