At linebacker, the 49ers changed Julian Peterson’s responsibility from being an edge pass rusher in nickel situations to an inside coverage guy. Peterson thus became responsible for stopping the shallow crossing routes by the Raiders receivers. While Peterson was subject to a Raiders touchdown pass to Jerry Porter, the change helped the 49ers particularly in third down defense. Suddenly players were tackled immediately after catching the ball, rather than after picking up the first down. Peterson was also successful in disrupting some of the timing of the short patterns, forcing Gannon to make mistakes or throw the ball away.

The idea stems from Bill Parcells’ defense in the Giants and Bills Super Bowl. He let his linebackers take advantage of the middle of the field, where much smaller players roamed. Using this strategy the 49ers defense was much more effective.

The 49ers also increased the amount of time they spent in man-to-man coverage. By locking their cornerbacks in man coverage the team was also more effective on third down, forcing Gannon to make tough throws. It also allowed the team more freedom in rushing the passer and using the linebackers to control the middle of the field. This is a strategy that many fans, including myself have been asking for, for quite some time, based on the 49ers soft zones - particularly on third downs.