San Francisco 49ers

5 Areas in Which the 49ers Actually Improved in 2016

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The 2016 NFL season might be one to forget for the San Francisco 49ers. Amid a terrible year under head coach Chip Kelly, there are some areas in which the Niners showed improvement. Let’s look at five of them.

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly calls out to his players during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Lev’i’s Stadium. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams 28-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

One can probably cross off the 2016 campaign of the San Francisco 49ers as a wasted year. The team is 1-11, lacks talent across the board and has no clear direction in sight.

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So how can there actually be improvement with this franchise?

Well, you have to dig deeper a bit. Yes, former head coach Jim Tomsula’s squad last year (5-11) might actually look to be a better bunch than this year’s Niners. And that argument is fine to make. But let’s take a bit more of a positive spin.

Before this season even began, Niner Noise discussed why fans shouldn’t be concerned about what the record would be in 2016. What was important was the development of young players on the roster — finding cornerstones to move forward.

Maybe that’s happening. Maybe it’s not, or at least not to enough of a degree.

Regardless, the aforementioned argument takes note of what should be a focal point for this franchise — improving in small-but-critical areas over the course of the season.

Here are five of those such areas.

Nov 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) hands off the ball to running back Carlos Hyde (28) against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5: The 49ers Offense Is Better in 2016

Say what you want about the lack of offensive weapons the 49ers have, a lackluster quarterback situation and/or head coach Chip Kelly’s scheme.

The reality is, with pretty clear results, the Niners offense is better in 2016 than it was a year ago.

Here are some side-by-side comparisons.

Under former head coach Jim Tomsula and then-offensive coordinator Geep Chryst, the 49ers put up a total of 238 points over the course of 2015. Through 12 games, this year’s Niners have nearly matched that number (235), which ranks 25th in the NFL.

While the offense still lacks firepower, it’s clear Kelly’s bunch packs a bit more of a punch than the last-place 2015 group.

And one of the primary reasons is next on our list.

Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) warms up prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4: Carlos Hyde and the 49ers Running Game

Fans are finally starting to see what a (nearly) full year with No. 1 running back Carlos Hyde would look like. And it’s making the difference on the stat sheet.

Hyde managed just seven games in 2015, largely due to a foot injury. While a shoulder injury hampered his 2016 campaign, Hyde could actually crest 1,000 yards on the ground — a would-be first in his three-year career.

Last year’s 49ers finished the season with the No. 21-ranked rushing attack (1,544 yards). But the 2016 Niners are actually towards the top of a category teams want to be in.

Through 13 weeks, San Francisco has 1,532 yards on the ground. This number will likely surpass the total from a year ago and currently ranks No. 4 in the league.

One can attribute this to three elements — Hyde (leading the team with 686 rushing yards), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (393 rushing yards) and head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, which is largely predicated on the ground game.

Oct 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Shaun Draughn (24) celebrates ahead of wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (17) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3: Red-Zone Efficiency

One of the key indicators of any team’s offensive success will be in the red zone.

And the 49ers have made solid strides here.

A year ago, the Niners finished the season with the NFL’s 31st-ranked red-zone offense, according to TeamRankings.com, with a touchdown-scoring efficiency of just 43.59 percent.

That number has jumped up over 15 points to 58.82 percent in 2016, which comes in at No. 13 — higher than teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks.

Head coach Chip Kelly’s offense might not get into the red zone as often as it would like. But at least these numbers suggest this unit has a bit better of an idea what to do when it gets down there.

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; General view of a referee picking up a penalty flag during the second quarter of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2: The Battle with the Little Yellow Flags

True, the 49ers have been dealing with some penalty issues in recent weeks. And hopefully this is a trend that gets nipped in the bud quickly.

At least it hasn’t been a season-long issue.

Currently, San Francisco has been penalized a total of 77 times for 661 yards. Currently, the Niners are on pace to be flagged 102.7 times this season, which is below the 113 flags on which the 49ers were called a season ago.

It’s possible, though, the Niners crest last year’s mark. Head coach Chip Kelly’s team would have to average at least nine penalties per game over the remaining four contests to break last year’s number.

If they don’t, it’s an area of improvement. And an important one.

A talent-lacking bunch like this year’s 49ers can’t afford to take penalties. So this is a crucial area to shore up.

Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley (74) warms up with guard Joshua Garnett (65) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys.

No. 1: The Offensive Line Is Better

It’s far from perfect, but it doesn’t take a football genius to figure out how improved the 49ers offensive line is from last year to 2016.

Gone are the days when San Francisco had to start Erik Pears at right tackle and Jordan Devey at right guard. No more Marcus Martin at center, although he’s still on the roster for some reason.

Instead, the Niners made upgrades by signing free-agent guard Zane Beadles and drafting Joshua Garnett to plug the right-guard spot. Right tackle Trent Brown has solidified his spot too.

We have to look at more than just sacks allowed, and the Niners are going to give up a few with quarterback Colin Kaepernick under center. So far, the 2016 group has given up 34 sacks — 19 less than the 53 allowed last year with four games remaining.