3 spots 49ers need to shore up entering 2020 NFL playoffs
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Getting the Pass Rush Back on Track
The 49ers finished with 48 sacks on the season, which was tied with the Minnesota Vikings for fifth best in the year.
But the problem was, however, San Francisco’s pass-rushing efforts waned significantly down the stretch. Over the team’s final five games, the Niners managed only four sacks, while the remaining 44 came over a hot streak earlier.
Not surprisingly, the two times the 49ers defense allowed a 300-plus yard passing game came during that span.
A big part of this was the defense missing EDGE Dee Ford, who has been absent with both quad and hamstring injuries. The lack of a complementary pass-rusher off the outside allowed opposing blockers to double team Ford’s linemate, rookie EDGE Nick Bosa, much more frequently, while also holding San Francisco’s leading sack specialist, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, to zero quarterback takedowns during that five-game period.
The good news, however, is Ford looks ready to return for the divisional round, which should help spark the Niners pass rush back to the kind of point it was earlier in the season when four- and five-sack games were a regularity.
That kind of prowess will be needed against the elite-level quarterbacks and offenses the 49ers will face.