SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Justin Smith’s game-saving strip of Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin had everything the San Francisco 49ers want on defense: heart, hustle and smarts.
All of it is part of the plan, too.
San Francisco’s ball-hawking defense has 11 takeaways this season to push the team’s turnover ratio to plus-eight, which is tied with Detroit for the NFL’s best. The remarkable turnaround under new coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is no accident.
The 49ers (3-1) spend time each week watching video and photos of the running backs and receivers they’ll face each week, learning their tendencies and bad ball-carrying habits. Smith’s forced fumble on Maclin is the shining example of the success of that approach and a big reason San Francisco leads the NFC West by two games already.
