Shanahan ‘very satisfied’ with Sorensen amid 49ers defense struggles

The 49ers' defense has not been nearly as dominant in 2024 as it has been in the past, but coach Kyle Shanahan does not believe that the drop-off has been a result of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen's scheme. The defensive line, which has been missing Nick Bosa for the past two games, and Javon Hargrave since Week 4, allowed a season-high 220 rushing yards in their 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 13. Shanahan spoke to the media on Monday via conference call and shared that he still has the utmost confidence in Sorenson. "Yeah, I'm very satisfied with Nick," Shanahan said. "I'm not at all satisfied with the results and how it's going right now, but, some of the mistakes that we've made, I don't think or what's happened here in these last two weeks, I don't think that's a schematic issue." The responsibility for the defense's sub-par performance does not fall solely on Sorensen's shoulders, who has been with the team since 2022. Shanahan owns the lack of production across all three phases of the game and understands the 49ers' 5-7 record is disappointing. "It's a little bit more of a fundamental issue, and that also starts with me," Shanahan...