49ers defense makes slowing QB runs ‘big focus.’ Why it matters for FitzMagic
The 49ers defense is banged up and isn’t playing at the level it did during the Super Bowl run in 2019. But it’s carried its weight through the first four games of 2020.
Having gone against struggling quarterbacks in three straight weeks — Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz — San Francisco ranks third in the NFL in both opponents’ scoring (17.8 points per game) and yardage (295), which is just 14 yards more than last season.
But the theme that popped up in 2019 is becoming even more prevalent in 2020. The 49ers are struggling to prevent quarterbacks from making plays with their legs, whether they’re scripted or improvised.
In Week 1, it was Kyler Murray’s team-leading 91 rushing yards and a touchdown that proved critical in a four-point loss. Jones’ 49 yards were mostly inconsequential in San Francisco’s Week 2 blowout, but he led the Giants in rushing in the first game Saquon Barkley was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.
Last week against the Eagles, Wentz extended plays with his legs throughout the game and scored a touchdown on a designed run in the first quarter of the 25-20 defeat. His 37 yards were second to running back Miles Sanders’ 46.
And the numbers match the eye test. The 49ers have allowed 205 rushing yards to quarterbacks, easily the most in the NFL.
The Chiefs are second at 139 yards. In fact, San Francisco has nearly allowed as many rushing yards to quarterbacks as they have running backs (226, fourth best in the NFL heading into Week 5).
“There’s been a big focus on that and I think we’ll improve in that respect,” general manager John Lynch said Wednesday on KNBR radio.
Why worry about FitzMagic?
It might sound amusing to think stopping quarterbacks from winning with their legs is a focus with Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick coming to Santa Clara on Sunday. But the 37-year-old is second on the team with 115 yards on the ground through four games after he led the team with 246 rushing yards in 2019. That’s not a typo. The Dolphins running back situation last year was that dire.
Fitzpatrick has scored rushing touchdowns in the last two games, which has the 49ers planning to see more of the same Sunday given their issues defending elusive signal callers.
“We probably need to be a little better in the discipline of our rush lanes. If you’re not going to beat people, keep the quarterback in the pocket,” Lynch said. “Fitzpatrick ... still moves incredibly well and is really adept at getting outside the pocket and making plays, so that’s going to be a focus as well. You don’t stop attacking, you just have to be very cognizant of staying in your rush lanes and everyone being married in their approach.”
The 49ers are trying to make that adjustment with mostly backups at defensive end. Nick Bosa (torn ACL) is done for the season while Dee Ford will miss at least the next three games with a significant back issue. That leaves the team’s leader in sacks, Kerry Hyder, Arik Armstead and Dion Jordan to slow quarterbacks on the edges. The team also promoted Alex Barrett from the practice squad this week to compensate for losing Ezekiel Ansah for the season with a torn biceps.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh this week mentioned there are two ways the his defensive ends are coached to defend the zone read, which is how Wentz scored his touchdown. A defensive end, that typically goes unblocked on the play, can crash on the running back and hope the linebacker can replace him in his gap and “scrape” if the quarterback holds on to the ball. Or the defensive end can “surf” and react to whether or not the quarterback hands the ball off.
“With Fitzpatrick, he is a lot more nimble than people realize,” Saleh said. “He’ll tuck it down. I mean, he had a QB draw, I think, last week for an 11-yarder for a touchdown. So, we are aware of his running ability, which is no different than any other team. We’ve just got to make sure that we’re doing a great job communicating and being mindful of his ability.”
49ers defense ready for runs
The 49ers’ scheme and personnel decisions might also factor in. Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek emphasizes getting up the field as quickly as possible, which can lead to offenses taking advantage of any open running lanes. Additionally, the 49ers use bigger edge rushers than they did in previous seasons when they ran a 3-4 scheme with 250- to 260-pound outside linebackers patrolling the edge.
Hyder, Armstead and Jordan are 275, 290 and 285 pounds, respectively, and don’t move as well in space as outside linebackers would.
Surely the 49ers will practice against the designed runs and have a better plan than they did for Wentz’ touchdown, when Jordan crashed on the fake and went after the running back while there was no linebacker to fill the quarterbacks running lane. The key will be limiting the off-schedule runs, which have been a bugaboo for San Francisco on third downs.
“Continue to be aggressive,” Armstead said, “but practicing and planning for and knowing where the quarterback likes to escape and how they escape. ... Every quarterback is a little different but that comes with film study and going out there and practicing and playing hard and being cognizant of who you are playing against.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 10:15 AM with the headline "49ers defense makes slowing QB runs ‘big focus.’ Why it matters for FitzMagic."