After returning off of the Super Bowl LVIII loss, the San Francisco 49ers could have run with the momentum of three winning seasons since 2021. But 2024 turned out to be a season full of excuses, injuries, and subpar performances. Who can forget their second half runs, or lack thereof? Here are some stats to make note of:
The opponents outscored San Francisco 165 to 88 in the fourth quarters.
Their offense was off by 2 points from first to second half.
Their defense surrendered more TDs per game in the second half than the first.
But when the blame fell, a part went to HC Kyle Shanahan. But most of it went to their Mr. Irrelevant-turned-QB1– Brock Purdy. He was in discussion for the NFL MVP title through his sophomore season. But last year, his numbers took a nosedive too. Still, he admitted how he needs to “get back to playing with the chip on my shoulder like it was my first two years of every game, every down trying to prove to myself that I’m the guy for this team and I’m capable of doing it.” However, not everyone agrees with what most of the 49ers fans think. For actor and die-hard Niners faithful, Joshua Jackson, the ghost of blown leads last season had a very specific name: the defense.
Sitting down with Rich Eisen, the ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ star first predicted San Francisco’s record this season to be 11-6. And without missing a beat, he cut straight to the heart of the previous season’s struggles. “That’s a big rebound year. But you know, last season, it was the defense. Everybody put all that on Brock Purdy, but it was the defense. We couldn’t hold leads. I know we had a huge amount of turnover on the defense, but we actually needed to do that.”
Eisen countered, pointing to key offensive absences: “Hey, man—no McCaffrey, no Brandon Aiyuk, no—it’s Trent Williams at times.” Jackson shifted focus squarely back to the defensive lapses and the perceived manageable path ahead: “That is not a platinum schedule we have to work our way through,” Jackson ended. And he isn’t totally wrong though.
The 49ers were just awful on third downs (24th in the NFL) and inside the red zone (31st) defensively. They also allowed TDs 68.4% of the time inside their own 20-yard line. The 49ers’ defense ranked 19th in tackling efficiency. After their bye week, the defense recorded only two takeaways. The narrative scapegoating Purdy ignored the defense’s repeated failures to seal the deal. And that was a glaring issue highlighted by the 18 double-digit leads blown under Shanahan—the ‘most’ in 49ers history.
While Purdy was slinging it (10th best 3,864 yards for 20 TDs and 12 interceptions with a 7th best 67.9 QB rating last season. This was after his 4,280 yards and 31 TDs with a 119.0 rating in 2023, fifth-best ever in a season. But the defense often vanished. As for Jackson, it’s not some bandwagon take.
A Faithful Purdy fan’s cred: Jackson’s red & gold roots run deep
Jackson’s Niners fandom is legit. It is traceable back to at least January 2013 when he and then-partner Diane Kruger were spotted in a Vancouver pub, jubilant as the Niners punched their ticket to Super Bowl XLVIII. He even dubbed himself the ‘#happiestnewlyunemployedguyever’ online after ‘Fringe’ wrapped, riding that Niners high. That long-term perspective fuels his analysis.
He, indeed, sees Purdy’s ascent from ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ to franchise QB (now locked down with a $265 million extension) for what it is: remarkable. The stats scream elite—9,518 career yards, 64 TDs, a 104.9 passer rating in just 40 games. Jackson understands that expecting Purdy to single-handedly overcome defensive collapses is like expecting a rookie QB in franchise mode to win the Super Bowl with a 60-rated offensive line—unrealistic and unfair.
Indeed, just as Victor Lipani used his past as a heavyweight boxer (a role Jackson physically transformed for, packing on 20 pounds) to guide Li Fong through adversity in ‘Karate Kid: Legends,’ Jackson sees the solution for the Niners lying in strong guidance and correction. His pointed critique of the defense is a call to action. Moreover, the return of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, known for his aggressive schemes, signals Shanahan recognizes the need for change.
Jackson’s faith in an 11–6 rebound season hinges on that defense rediscovering its backbone, finally supporting their ascendant QB. For Jackson, a true faithful, it’s not about tearing down Purdy. It’s about building up the entire team around him, ensuring those fourth-quarter leads become victories, not haunting memories. The journey from underdog to champion, whether for Li Fong in New York or the Niners in Santa Clara, demands resilience, smart adjustments, and unwavering belief. Jackson’s got the belief. Now, the defense needs to deliver.
The post Karate Kid Star & 49ers Fan Joshua Jackson Assigns Blame on Kyle Shanahan’s Defense & Defends Brock Purdy appeared first on EssentiallySports.