Sorensen identifies reason for 49ers DBs’ lack of interceptions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers’ defensive backfield hasn’t had the greatest start to the 2024 NFL season, as the group has yet to record an interception through five games.
Part of the issue could be attributed to the injury absence of safety Talanoa Hufanga, who recorded four interceptions during his First-Team All-Pro campaign in 2022. Cornerback Charvarius Ward is out for Thursday’s contest against the Seattle Seahawks, which won’t help things either.
On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen offered another explanation for the 49ers’ lack of interceptions.
“We’ve got to attack it more,” Sorensen told reporters after practice. “I mean, there’s always [opportunities]. It’s just one of those things where we need a mindset of when it’s up, it’s ours. Be the receiver, be the aggressor. Just hasn’t happened yet. We need to be more aggressive with it.”
That aggressive nature has been a hallmark of San Francisco’s defenses recently, so it’s not a surprising priority for Sorensen.
Though creating turnovers hasn’t been the sole defensive issue for the 49ers, the first-year coordinator believes improving that aspect could flip San Francisco’s recent close losses into wins.
“There’s different stuff that shows up. For a minute there, it was explosive passes because those have consistently led to points for years and years and years,” Sorensen explained. “And when we give those up, and we don’t take the ball like you just mentioned on the interceptions, it’s tough to win games because those are stats that are continuous, and they’re consistent, and it’s every year. So, whatever the turnover margin is, if we make it even, I think that last game is different. So, I think we always feel like we have to do our part.”
Thursday night’s matchup against Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith could be an opportunity for the 49ers’ secondary to get back on track, though. Smith already has thrown four interceptions to just five touchdowns in Seattle’s five contests to start the season.
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