SANTA CLARA – Peyton Manning entered last week's game against the 49ers having thrown 15 touchdown passes and having been sacked only twice all season. He left it with three more sacks but no additional touchdown passes.
It was a virtuoso performance by 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, one recognized by observers around the league. His former colleague, Mike Martz, said on the NFL Network that the 49ers' defensive front took Manning "to the woodshed. They really did a great job."
Said former quarterback and CBS analyst Rich Gannon: "I thought that was as good a defensive performance as I've seen against Peyton Manning."
So what will Manusky and his defensive players do with that masterpiece now? Crumple it into a tight ball and throw it in the waste bin.
While San Francisco's last two opponents, Houston and Indianapolis, featured the league's top two quarterbacks in terms of passing yards, today's foe, Tennessee, boasts the league's top rusher. Chris Johnson has run for 824 yards in seven games, including a franchise-record 228 yards in last week's win against Jacksonville.
Johnson also has been running his mouth.
The second-year tailback said he wants to reach 2,000 yards for the season, and he has promised to buy each of his offensive linemen a new car if he reaches that mark. He also said this week that he expects the Titans, who lost their first six contests, to win their last 10 and make the playoffs.
His coach, Jeff Fisher, said he had no problem with the bravado, as long as Johnson focuses on one game at a time.
"Going into the season, I think we all thought we had a chance to win every game," said Fisher, whose team finished 13-3 last year, the best record in the league. "That's not a bad approach to take, but you've got to win the next one first. It's a week-to-week deal, and they know that."
The 49ers, meanwhile, have an impressive ranking of their own.
Despite having already faced two of the league's top three rushers – Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and St. Louis' Steven Jackson – San Francisco has the second-best defense against the run, limiting opponents to 84.9 yards a game.
"Chris Johnson, he's establishing himself as a good running back," said 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. "But what he's done, he's done against other teams. He's got to come in this Sunday and get ready for a hard-nosed game. I'm sure it will be."
The 49ers will counter Johnson's flash – he has touchdown runs of 91 and 89 yards this season – with old-fashioned discipline. The key to the defensive success this season has been the linemen's understanding of Manusky's gap-control approach and their willingness to allow teammates to make the play.
Of course, it doesn't hurt when the linebacker playing behind you is one of the league's top tacklers.
Said defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer: "Having Patrick Willis behind you always makes it easier. A lot easier."
Read Matthew Barrows' archives and blogs at sacbee.com/sf49ers.
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