Niner Noise
FanSided

3 reasons SF 49ers bounce back with win vs. Washington

By Peter Panacy

Pierre Garcon #88 of the Washington Redskins avoids a tackle by Chris Culliver #29 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Pierre Garcon #88 of the Washington Redskins avoids a tackle by Chris Culliver #29 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Washington Football Team, Alex Smith
Alex Smith #11 of the Washington Football Team (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

No. 2: SF 49ers aren’t facing a quality offensive line with Washington

The SF 49ers had a tough time getting to the mobile and elusive Josh Allen in Week 13, and his ability to extend plays was another one of the reasons why the Niners secondary had such a difficult time in coverage.

So was Buffalo’s offensive line, which came away from the game as Football Outsiders‘ No. 16 overall pass-blocking unit after giving up just one sack in the bout.

Fortunately for San Francisco and its shorthanded pass rush, the Washington Football Team doesn’t exactly boast a prolific pass-blocking O-line.

Per Football Outsiders, Washington’s O-line ranks 27th in pass protection with an adjusted sack rate of 7.6 percent after allowing 38 sacks on the year, which ranks fourth most in the league. Alex Smith has taken 18 sacks already, which is tied for 18th most despite him playing in just six games this season so far. What counts more is his 8.2 sack percentage on the year, and that’s fourth highest among qualifiers.

While the SF 49ers don’t boast elite-level pass-rushers and generally lack speed off the edges, they should take some comfort knowing Washington’s O-line isn’t prolific in pass protection and Smith is nowhere as elusive as Allen at this point in his career.