Raiders vs. 49ers: 5 storylines for Week 9 on Thursday Night Football
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Pass Rush versus Raiders Offensive Line
Oh, if the Niners had an outside edge rush last week in Arizona. That would have made a world of difference against what ended up being the Cardinals’ fourth-quarter comeback. Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen had all the time in the world within the pocket to find his targets.
And it hurt.
Here’s the kicker — Arizona’s offensive line still ranks 23rd in pass protection on the year, according to Football Outsiders. Despite some key injuries, the Raiders rank 16th in this same category.
Both teams are going to be tired, yes. But short weeks are especially detrimental to pass-rushers, who are forced to use more energy to overpower pass blockers.
The 49ers have a solid defensive line rotation, which helps. And the team not trading defensive tackle Arik Armstead at the NFL trade deadline at least keeps this unit relatively fresh in its rotations.
Still, Armstead’s presence doesn’t change the fact San Francisco still ranks 25th in the league with just 16 sacks on the year.
Not addressing the edge-rushing needs last offseason has hurt this defense in oh-so many ways.