San Francisco 49ers: 5 players to watch in Week 7 vs. Rams
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: EDGE Cassius Marsh
The 49ers have gotten virtually nothing from the outside pass rush this season, and it’s pretty clear general manager John Lynch gaffed a bit by not addressing this problem during the offseason.
That said, the Niners need to rely heavily on their primary weak-side pass-rusher, Cassius Marsh, on Sunday to negate that strong Rams passing attack.
Marsh has just one sack on the season — a literal “gimmie” back in Week 5 during San Francisco’s 28-18 home loss to the previously winless Arizona Cardinals. While he’s generated a bit of pressure on the year, getting home against opponents’ quarterbacks has been elusive.
This circumstance will need to change in Week 7.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff has been sacked just 11 times this season, and the Rams’ pass-blocking efforts rank No. 2 in the league heading into this weekend’s slate of games, per Pro Football Focus.
It’s not going to be easy for Marsh. Last week, however, Denver Broncos rookie pass-rusher Bradley Chubb made life difficult for Goff, which limited his passing efforts to just 201 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Chubb, like Marsh, had struggled most of the season before that week. So if there’s a time for Marsh to turn things around and get home, it’s this Sunday.