"The 49ers don't come to mind when assessing the NFL's top rushing defenses. They've given ground at 4.3 yards per carry in an area where the term stout isn't used until it gets below 4.0. But the last two games, wins over Indianapolis and Chicago, came against teams that figured to challenge the 49ers at the line of scrimmage and impose their will."
"When faced with the 49ers' porous secondary and minimal pass rush, Caleb Williams threw 42 passes (completing 25 for 330 yards) even though Chicago never trailed by more than seven points. Instead of looking to control the line of scrimmage in the most basic way possible, both teams aired it out. The temptation to throw and throw again was too great and it contributed to a pace of play and style of game that benefitted the 49ers and coach Kyle Shanahan."
The 49ers have yielded 4.3 yards per carry, a mark below elite run defenses and above the 'stout' threshold under 4.0. Recent wins over Indianapolis and Chicago came against teams that largely abandoned the run. Jonathan Taylor managed 47 yards on 16 carries, and Chicago averaged 5.0 yards per carry but only ran 22 times while Caleb Williams threw 42 passes for 330 yards. The pass-heavy approaches and faster pace played into the 49ers' strengths under coach Kyle Shanahan. Seattle brings Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet as a potent rushing duo, and Klint Kubiak's ties to the 49ers add intrigue to Seattle's game-plan decision.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]