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The San Francisco 49ers exited the NFC Divisional Round with a victory, but it did not come easy for the NFC West champs. For ex-Niners QB and Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young, their struggles were due to their inability to disrupt the line of scrimmage.
San Francisco did not sack Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love once. The 49ers defense allowed 4.9 yards per carry to Green Bay, 0.7 yards more than they’ve averaged this season. Young understands that there are different strategies for defensive linemen, but found himself asking questions of the group.
“I found myself, during the game, saying to myself, where’s the dynamic nature of these athletes?” Young said on his KNBR podcast. “It felt like it was just four guys bull rushing and trying to—I’m sure there’s way more to it, I’m not an expert—but my commentary to myself is, where’s all this [dynamicism]… And when they’re not getting there, we open ourselves up to this madness that happened on Saturday.”
San Francisco needed two interceptions from Love and a late score to come from behind and win. Considering the Detroit Lions also boast a dynamic rushing attack and a solid QB in Jared Goff, the 49ers defensive line will need to be better to win the NFC Championship.
San Francisco Waiting on Deebo Samuel
Besides needing the defensive line to step up, the 49ers will also need Deebo Samuel to be at full strength. While it’s clear that he’s banged up, the good news is that he is hitting the practice field, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on January 25.
“49ers’ WR Deebo Samuel will be limited at today’s practice due to his shoulder injury,” Schefter wrote on X.
Samuel had been at his best to end the regular season, but exited the Divisional Round due to his shoulder. Should the 28-year-old not be able to go against Detroit, it would take out a whole dimension of the offense.
As Heavy’s Matthew Davis covered, Samuel told organization members that he was “okay” after the injury. Whether he suits up or not on Sunday will likely be a game-time decision.
49ers Could Lose 2 Pass Rushers This Offseason
Big names like Nick Bosa aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But San Francisco’s defensive line could look a lot different in a few months. Edge rushers Randy Gregory and Chase Young are both in positions to depart, albeit in different ways.
Young will be a free agent this offseason and it’s hard to see how he doesn’t test the open market. San Francisco will be tight on cap space, while other teams hungry for a pass rusher can fork out the cash.
Meanwhile, Gregory still has time left on the contract that the Denver Broncos handed him in 2022. But his trade to San Francisco allows the NFC West team to cut him this offseason and avoid paying him $13.75 million in 2024.
Considering he’s only had 2.5 sacks since arriving with the 49ers, it just makes financial sense. However, the 49ers could release him and then re-sign him to a cheaper deal if there’s mutual interest.
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