The San Francisco 49ers defense has returned to dominance seven weeks into the season, where they stand with a 5-2 record atop the NFC West.

That has come, despite the 49ers losing stars Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the season, while dealing with various injuries and starting multiple first and second-year players. San Francisco currently ranks seventh in the NFL in points allowed per game (19.7 points), and just held an Atlanta Falcons offense to 10 points last weekend.

This offseason, the 49ers elected to let go of several veteran starters, relying on the draft to replace the missing pieces. That created an even bigger challenge for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was brought back after a stint as the New York Jets head coach.

Seven weeks into the season, that move has proved

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