3 things we learned about the 49ers in the first half

At the midway point of the season, it's still tough to know how the rest of the season will turn out with how volatile the San Francisco 49ers have been. We've seen them play well, like against New England and Dallas, but poor performances against Kansas City and the Rams have put a damper on the season.

Now the 49ers will turn the page on the 4-4 start and look to put together another trademark second half of the season under Kyle Shanahan. But just what have we learned about the 49ers in the first half of the season?

These are the three biggest lessons the Niners taught us in the first eight games:

The 49ers offense misses McCaffrey – at least in the red zone

With all of the talent on the 49ers offense, this shouldn't be the case, but here we are. And it's only one spot where the offense is struggling without McCaffrey, which has made things feel off this season.

From a numbers standpoint, the dropoff from last season isn't too bad, as the 2024 49ers are only averaging 2.6 points per game fewer than last season while averaging 14 more yards per game. Where the loss of McCaffrey has hurt the 49ers offense is inside the red zone.

The 49ers' red zone woes have been chronicled extensively, sitting at the halfway point of the season, scoring a touchdown on 48.6 percent of red zone trips. That's a stark difference from the league-leading 67.2 percent red zone possessions that ended in a touchdown for the 49ers in 2023.

McCaffrey nearly set a 49ers franchise record with 21 total touchdowns in 2023. Of those 21 scores, 18 came from inside the final fifth of the field, a whopping 40 percent of all 49ers red zone touchdowns last season. Without McCaffrey in the lineup, the 49ers have been a bottom-five red-zone team this season.

McCaffrey's practice window was opened on Monday, and he's on track to play Sunday in Tampa Bay. The 49ers offense has been one of the better in the league this season, but if McCaffrey's return can solve the red zone struggles, the Niners offense will hit another level.

The 49ers nailed the 2024 draft

The 49ers' front office has a reputation for nailing the draft in the mid-rounds, and the 2024 draft was no exception.

With many screaming for the Niners to use a top pick on an offensive lineman, John Lynch and company held until the third round to take Dominick Puni. A training camp injury to Spencer Burford gave Puni an opportunity for training camp and preseason snaps, and it's an opportunity Puni has yet to relinquish. The guard has only allowed 14 pressures in the first eight games of his career and has yet to allow a sack this season.

Unlike Puni, second-round pick Renardo Green took a few games to earn his snaps, but Green has improved in every game since his uptick in playing time. After playing 33 snaps on defense through the first five games, Green has played 159 snaps over the last three games, allowing only eight receptions on 17 targets with an interception over those three games.

Green isn't the only rookie impacting the secondary as fourth-round safety Malik Mustapha forced his way into the starting lineup. Mustapha has become a heavy-hitting safety that 49ers fans haven't seen in the secondary since Dashon Goldson roamed the secondary at Candlestick Park. The fourth-round safety endeared himself quite well to 49ers fans with his interception of Geno Smith in the first quarter of his introduction to the rivalry with Seattle.

Ricky Pearsall will only see increased snaps from here after returning from his incident before the season. Isaac Guerendo and Jacob Cowing haven't seen much action yet but have had some moments stepping in for injured players. It's only been eight games, but the 49ers have found several gems in the 2024 draft.

There needs to be more from Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd

San Francisco tried a different strategy with the pass rush this season, going with a top-heavy group led by Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and Javon Hargrave. Hargrave was lost for the season due to injury, leaving the 49ers without an interior pass rusher.

In Hargrave's absence, Maliek Collins, Jordan Elliott, and Kevin Givens have stepped in well, with Givens and Collins combining for six-and-a-half sacks. With the line's interior getting okay production without Elliott, the 49ers' pass rush needs more from its top two pass rushers.

While Bosa's pressure numbers are solid as expected – his 46 pressures are second-most of all defensive players – his 4.5 sacks are the second-fewest in his career through eight games, with last season being his lowest. Last season also happened to be Bosa's lowest sack total in a season since his rookie year.

Floyd's struggles are even more concerning as he's not only not getting sacks but also struggling to create pressure. His 25 pressures are tied for 28th among all edge rushers, tied with Byron Young, Nik Bonitto, and Dre'Mont Jones. With the lack of pressures, Floyd has just three sacks through eight games. He's currently on pace to finish with his fewest sacks in a season since he finished with three in 2019. Since then, Floyd has recorded at least nine sacks in the last four seasons.

The 49ers' pass defense is forcing turnovers—its ten interceptions rank third—but the pass rush is in the middle of the league in sacks. San Francisco's defense has felt off in the first half of the season, but if Bosa and Floyd can start getting to the quarterback more frequently, that could change.