Amid a slew of injuries, the 49ers have compiled a 6-3 record through the first nine games in large part because of the impressive play of Mac Jones, the history-making brilliance of Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Shanahan’s schematic genius, and sporadic strong performances from a defense devastated by setbacks.

But there’s one area of the team in which head coach Shanahan is especially proud this season, having shown marked improvement from the 2024 campaign.

It was difficult for the 49ers’ special teams unit to get much worse after finishing last in special teams EPA (-47.67) last season. That performance was almost 24 points worse than the 31st team, the Atlanta Falcons (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN).

But the appointment of Brant Boyer as special teams coordinator, and the changes at kicker and punter have yielded significant dividends.

With Eddy Pineiro still yet to miss a field goal and Thomas Morstead tied for sixth in the NFL with 13 punts inside the 20, the 49ers’ special teams is flourishing compared to the dismal efforts of last year.

Their performance in that facet of the game in last Sunday’s win over the New York Giants was highlighted by Brian Robinson’s 41-yard kickoff return to help set up the 49ers’ final touchdown that killed the game in the fourth quarter.

Speaking on his Monday conference call, Shanahan spoke of his happiness with the special teams under Boyer’s stewardship.

“I’ve been really proud of our special teams this year. I think they’ve gotten better throughout the year. I think they’re playing really well as a unit in all the phases, not just one in particular. I think our returners have gotten better. We’ve gotten better at blocking for them. I think our punter, our long snapper and our kicker are playing at high level. I think it’s a huge credit to them, especially as we get all these injuries. People talk about guys having to play on offense and defense when guys are hurt. Well, they’re all taken from special teams too. So, for them to get better as we’ve been banged up, give a lot of credit to those guys for pulling that off.”

Such is the strong performance of the 49er special teams that it could be an equalizer for San Francisco in a Week 10 contest with the Los Angeles Rams, in which they look outmatched on paper on both offense and defense.

Indeed, this season, the 49ers have a special teams EPA of plus-17.3, while the Rams are 31st with negative-23.7, their struggles highlighted by the travails of kicker Joshua Karty, who has missed five field goals and three extra points this season.

The expectation is that, between the weapons they have on offense and a defense that ranks first in EPA per play, the Rams will avenge their shock loss to the 49ers in Week 5. However, division games are frequently weird and, if the 49ers keep it close, it could well be the case that their surprisingly superior special teams tilts the game towards a San Francisco sweep.