Robert Saleh’s first game back in Tennessee turned into a rough reminder of how quickly things can go sideways, while Raheem Morris opened his 49ers run by making things look almost easy.
Saleh’s Titans fell to the New York Jets, his former team, 23-10 at home. Across the other side of the story, Morris stepped into San Francisco and immediately helped the 49ers do something a lot of teams struggle to do: hold the Rams to just seven points.
The split-screen was hard to ignore, even if one game doesn’t tell you everything about what’s ahead. Still, for 49ers fans who spent the offseason wondering how the latest defensive change would play out, Morris’ debut offered a clean, reassuring answer.
Tennessee’s afternoon never really found its footing. The Jets piled up 367 yards against the Titans’ 195, controlled the ball for almost two-thirds of the game and didn’t allow Tennessee to reach the end zone until the game was nearly over. It was the kind of lopsided loss that leaves a mess behind, and the Titans’ defensive breakdowns made it worse.
Saleh, who is calling Tennessee’s defense as a defensive head coach, also had to deal with self-inflicted damage. The Titans were flagged twice for having too many men on the field, and Saleh took the blame publicly for those mistakes.
San Francisco’s opener had a very different feel. The 49ers faced the Rams in Australia in the first-ever game played there, and Morris’ defense came out looking sharp against a team widely viewed as one of the league’s best offenses entering the season.
That mattered for a 49ers team that has been through this cycle before. Morris is already the fifth defensive coordinator in five years, following DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh, who both turned those jobs into head-coaching opportunities, as well as Steve Wilks and Nick Sorenson, who were both let go after one season.
There’s still a long season ahead, and the 49ers’ first win doesn’t erase the questions around the Rams’ travel schedule. Some have pointed to Los Angeles arriving in Australia without enough time before kickoff, and that may have played a major role in the final score. With 17 games to work through, Morris will have more chances to show exactly what he has.
For one week, though, the contrast was clear. Morris gave San Francisco a fast start and a strong defensive showing. Saleh, on the other hand, opened his Titans stint with a setback that did little to calm anyone’s nerves.
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