Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: 3 reasons the pass rush will be better in 2018 than you think

By Peter Panacy

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 29: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled after a short gain by DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first half during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 29: Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled after a short gain by DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first half during their game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 03: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass the football in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 03: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass the football in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

No. 1: An Improved 49ers Offense

Wait, what? How can the Niners offense improve the defense?

The NFL is such a “hand in glove” league, almost every unit has an effect on the other. And it’s no secret an effective offense takes pressure off the defense. Extended offensive drives means the defense gets more rest, stays fresher and is in better position to make key plays towards the end of the game where it counts the most.

San Francisco’s offense was paltry, for the most part, over the first 12 weeks of last season. Enter quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and that all changed. If you’re not sure how, just check out this split from Niner Noise’s Chris Wilson:

Let’s extrapolate a bit further. Pro Football Focus has a metric called pass-rush productivity (PRP), which factors in sacks, pressures and hits on a percentage of pass-rush snaps. While he appeared in just six games for the 49ers last season, Cassius Marsh’s overall PRP was 9.3 — not terrible, but nowhere close to elite.

Remove the one game without Garoppolo (Week 12 versus Seattle Seahawks), Marsh’s PRP jumps up a full point to 10.3. Double-digit PRP ratings are where the good pass-rushers need to be.

This is just one example. But with a balanced and moving offense, San Francisco’s pass-rushers should be notably better over the course of the season.