The 2025 campaign has been a bit of a fever dream for the San Francisco 49ers. Despite getting battered by injuries once again this season, the team has stood strong, and if they win their final three games, they will come out on top in a loaded NFC West division. One of the guys who has played a big role in the Niners’ standout season is defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
After a failed stint with the New York Jets as their head coach, Saleh returned to his old stomping grounds and rejoined Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff. Saleh has helped a defense that lost stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries remain among the best in the league, and he took aim at the folks criticizing one key aspect of the team’s game plan ahead of their Week 16 action.
Robert Saleh Bashes Folks Complaining About 49ers’ Defense
During his first stint as the Niners’ defensive coordinator, Saleh earned a reputation as one of the top defensive minds in the league. Things didn’t work out for him with the Jets, but he’s proven in just a 14-game stretch that, in the right situation, he can help take a team to another level. In 2025, San Francisco has reaped the rewards of Saleh’s return to town.
The fact that the 49ers are 10-4 heading into Week 16 is something of a miracle. Saleh’s ability to get the most out of a group that is without its two best players is wildly impressive, and while that may seemingly impede them from going on a deep playoff run, San Fran has proven week in and week out that it can go toe-to-toe with whoever it is matched up against.
If you want to get nitpicky when looking at the Niners’ defense, they are allowing 333.6 yards per game, which is 18th in the league. That may seem to indicate that there’s reason for concern heading into the postseason, but when the issue was brought to Saleh’s attention, he made it clear that he does not care how many yards his defense gives up.
“I gave up on yardage a long time ago,” Saleh admitted when speaking with reporters on Friday. “It’s about winning football games, keeping points down, doing whatever you can from a schematic standpoint, a play-calling standpoint, to make sure that the other team is not in the end zone. If that means you give up yards, then so be it.”
49ers Looking to Keep Pace atop NFC West with Win in Week 16
GettySANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 14: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The 49ers have employed a bend-don’t-break mentality on defense, and to this point, it has worked. Saleh is fine with giving up yards, as long as his defense keeps opposing teams out of the end zone. So far, that plan has worked, and if San Francisco can carry this identity into the playoffs, it will remain an incredibly dangerous team.
First, it has to get there, and the only way the team can ensure it makes its way into the postseason is to win games. The Niners will have a great opportunity to do just that in Week 16, as they will face off against a reeling Indianapolis Colts team. With this game set to take place on Monday Night Football, kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
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