The San Francisco 49ers' 26-15 loss to the Houston Texans exposed a few critical concerns, but perhaps none was greater than the lack of a consistent pass rush. In the early going of the season, the defense was crucial to the team's success, with the pass rush in particular sealing the deal for wins in Weeks 1 and 2.
However, the moment that Nick Bosa went down with a torn ACL in Week 3, the writing was on the wall. Bryce Huff alone wouldn't be sufficient to run Robert Saleh's defense the way the well-respected coordinator likes. The name of the game is getting home with four rushers in order to flood the field with coverage, but without an elite presence on the edge, the unit struggled.
Even a philosophical pivot to a more blitz-happy approach wouldn't truly be enough to generate consistent pressure, especially now with Huff out nursing an injury of his own.
The matchup against the Texans further underscored how grim things will be without a big move at the trade deadline.
C.J. Stroud slicing and dicing 49ers defense proved why trading for a high-end pass-rusher needs to be atop John Lynch's list
Houston's field general C.J. Stroud went 30-of-39 with two touchdowns and a pick against the battered Niners, while San Francisco was shut out in the sack department. The defense managed just eight hurries on the day, and the team's highest graded edge rusher, Mykel Williams, recorded a middling 58.9 mark on 29 rushes.
Saleh dialed up 14 blitzes, against which Stroud went 11-of-13 for 90 yards, and posted his highest offensive grade, 88.9, than what he recorded in any other situation. His adjusted completion percentage against the blitz was 100 percent, showing how wholly ineffective it was.
It wasn't much better against the four-man rush, with Stroud going 19-of-26 for 228 yards. With no real pressure to speak of, he sat back in the pocket and was able to take shots downfield, with an average depth of target of 9.6 yards.
Fortunately for San Francisco, several options should be on the trade block, ranging from budget-friendly choices like former Niner Arden Key to blockbusters like the Cincinnati Bengals' Trey Henderickson and everything in between.
What is for sure is that a move or moves need to be made, or else the 49ers risk watching their hopes for the season crumble and the weeks wear on.