Eagles vs. SF 49ers: 5 players who’ll tear up Philly’s defense
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: SF 49ers Left Tackle Trent Williams
Philly has shown a surprisingly good run defense so far this season, ranking fourth best in the league with opponents rushing for an average of just 3.4 yards per carry.
This could ultimately translate into the SF 49ers being much more reliant on the passing game, perhaps quarterback Nick Mullens if he indeed gets the start over an injured Jimmy Garoppolo.
Fortunately, at least while the Niners offensive line hasn’t been anything to brag about this season, left tackle Trent Williams‘ pass-blocking ways have once again returned to an elite level. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams’ pass-blocking grade over the first three weeks of 2020 is 87.8, which is second best among all qualifying tackles only to the Baltimore Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley.
Granted, Williams’ task on Sunday won’t be easy. He’ll often find himself lining up opposite Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, who already has notched three sacks on the season and figures to give Williams plenty of challenges in his attempt to get into the backfield.
Still, Williams has a perennial knack for shutting down an opponent’s best pass-rusher, and that likely figures to be the case again in Week 4. Particularly in this familiar former NFC East matchup when Williams faced Graham a lot when the former was with the Washington Football Team.
Look for Williams to have yet another one of his signature games, dominating at the line of scrimmage against Philly and making Graham a non-factor.