49ers red zone: The other side of the story

SANTA CLARA -- How is it that the 49ers are so bad in the red zone and they're still NFC West champions with a 10-3 record?As bad as they are on offense, they've been that good on defense. The 49ers own the league's best red-zone defense."We've done a good job of playing the run," 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "Most good red-zone offenses start with a good running game and we've been able to play the run down there well. And then when it comes time to pass, we've done a good job with covering up the receivers and getting some good rush. It's just a combination of good players doing the right thing."The 49ers' defense inside the opponent's 20-yard line is the major reason the 49ers left Philadelphia with a 24-23 victory on Oct. 2. The Eagles got inside the 20-yard line seven times and came away with only two touchdowns. The run defense has led the way, allowing just 1.99 yards per rushing attempt in the red zone. The 49ers are the first team since the 1920 Decatur Staleys to not allow a rushing touchdown in the first 13 games of a season.The 49ers have allowed the opposition to enter their own 20-yard line just 28 times. The defense has given up just 10 touchdowns for a league-best defensive percentage of 35.7. Opponents have settled for 13 field goals.Most of the attention has gone to the 49ers' failures inside the red zone. And that's where the 49ers turned a lot of their own attention this week as they prepare to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. On a typical week, the 49ers spend time in two practices on their red-zone game plan. This week, they spent three days working on it, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said.No team in the NFL is worse than the 49ers inside the opponents' 20-yard line. The 49ers have gotten into the red zone 45 times. They've scored just 16 touchdowns -- for a lowly 35.6 percentage. (The league average is 52 percent.) But with 25 field goals, the 49ers have actually scored 91.1 percent of the time they get that far. That's tied for fifth-best in the league.Some might wonder if the 49ers' offense works against the 49ers' defense during practice. The answer is no. Once the regular season begins, the first-team offense does not go up against the first-team defense. Coaches have determined it is much more beneficial to prepare for the upcoming opponent with "scout" teams comprised of backups and practice-squad players that try to replicate what the opposition will try to do.