Anyone who watched the San Francisco 49ers' 13-3 beatdown at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 could see that things were off for head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad.
One glaring weakness for the Niners in that game was the offensive line, as quarterback Brock Purdy seemed to be under duress almost every time he dropped back.
Purdy was sacked three times but under pressure a lot more, and a big reason for that lack of protection was offensive tackle Trent Williams' absence from the game.
Williams suffered a hamstring injury during the first snap of the previous week's game against the Chicago Bears and was unable to return to full health with the short turnaround times between tilts.
Granted, the 12-time Pro Bowler is pretty hard to replace. Williams' backup, Austen Pleasants, didn't put up half the game we typically see out of the future Hall of Famer.
Case in point, Pleasants had a measly Pro Football Focus overall grade of 38.7 in Week 18, allowing two hurries and one quarterback hit.
His offensive line teammates didn't fare much better either. Guard Spencer Burford received an overall PFF grade of 47.6 against the Hawks, allowing three hurries and one QB hit.
One could argue that Williams' absence is a huge reason the Niners were held without a touchdown against the Seahawks and struggled both in pass protection and in getting their run game going behind Christian McCaffrey
With a Wild Card matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles coming up on Sunday, the 49ers could sorely use some help on the offensive line
49ers desperately need Trent Williams back vs. Eagles
The Eagles have 42 sacks on the season, which puts them 13th overall in the league. They also have held opponents to 189.8 passing yards per game this season, eighth-best in the NFL for 2025.
Williams' return would assuredly boost San Francisco's offense, which was averaging 34.4 points per game in the last five weeks he started (and finished). He not only bullies defenders, he also elevates his offensive line mates.
The ageless veteran has an overall PFF grade of 91.5 for the season, which includes a 79.9 pass-blocking grade. The Niners missed that in a major way in Week 18. If Williams misses Wild Card weekend, they'll be in a terrible spot versus Philly.
His impact is undeniable, and without him, it will be a tough day for Purdy and the offense.
Hopefully, between sitting out the previous game and the 49ers' eight days between games, Williams will be able to return at full strength (or close to it) against Philadelphia.