Rams vs. 49ers: Why Cassius Marsh is an X-factor for Week 7

The San Francisco 49ers have an important game coming up against the undefeated Los Angeles Rams. Niner Noise looks at the X-factor who can help the 49ers pull off the upset, EDGE Cassius Marsh.

I’ve always liked San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Cassius Marsh.

Marsh was a great rotational pass-rusher in Seattle with the Seahawks during his first years in the league. He was then traded to the New England Patriots and was later waived by head coach Bill Belichick, so Niners general manager John Lynch took a chance on Marsh and claimed him off waivers late in 2017.

I was a huge fan of the pickup and what Marsh showed on the field in his first year with San Francisco. He looked solid as a speedy edge rusher and collected two sacks to end the 2017 season.

To reward him for his performance, Lynch gave Marsh a two-year extension and said some nice words to him. Moreso, Lynch chose to mostly ignore the pass rush over the offseason, displaying his faith in Marsh to man the edge.

So, how’s Marsh doing so far this season in his new starting role?

Not well. Through six games, he has seven total tackles and one sack, leading to a mediocre 56.8 Pro Football Focus grade.

Marsh is going to need to step it up if the 49ers want to bring down the undefeated Los Angeles Rams this week.

I watched the Rams play the Denver Broncos in Week 6, where the team put up its lowest point total yet. Denver let Rams running back Todd Gurley run all over them with 208 yards and two touchdowns, but they did hold quarterback Jared Goff to 201 passing yards and no passing touchdowns.

Goff’s poor pass efficiency was a huge reason the Broncos limited Los Angeles to just 23 points. And the reason why Goff had such a poor day through the air was because of edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

Through the first five weeks of the season, Chubb — Denver’s first-round 2018 rookie — was looking like a bust for the Broncos, only getting one sack in his first five games. That changed against the Rams, as Chubb took Goff down three times behind the line of scrimmage.

The Niners need Marsh to have that kind of turnaround against the Rams. It isn’t likely to happen, but Marsh having a dominant day against Los Angeles’ offensive line and putting constant pressure on Goff would greatly help San Francisco pull off an upset.

The 49ers have a great run defense with linebackers Reuben Foster and Fred Warner tackling running backs with ease (missed tackling issue has noticeably improved a lot), so Gurley should have a tougher day than usual. All the defense has to do — all Marsh has to do — is apply that pressure on Goff.

That is the key to winning this game, which would make for the 49ers’ greatest win in Levi’s Stadium so far.