What’s Wrong with the 49ers Pass Rush?

September 23, 2014   ·   Peter Panacy   ·   Jump to comments

Three games into the 2014 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers defense is struggling to generate the same type of pressure up front that made it such a vaunted unit in recent years.
In those three games, the 49ers pass rush amassed a mere four sacks—three of which came from veteran defensive end Justin Smith.
We expected coming into this season that San Francisco's pass rush would struggle, especially in the absence of outside linebacker Aldon Smith—serving a nine-game suspension for his off-the-field issues—and inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, one of the best blitzing interior LBs in the NFL. We knew the 49ers would have to figure out a way to get beyond Smith's absence, in particular, in order to generate similar pressure.
So far, this isn't happening.
True, the lack of pass rush is only a part of San Francisco's woes this season. But it is a big part.
Let's think about it for a second.
The lack of a pass rush gives opposing quarte...

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