ESPN breaks down 49ers' 'concerning weakness' for the playoffs

The San Francisco 49ers have one game left in the 2025 regular season, as they'll host the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at Levi's Stadium for a game that will decide the division and the top seed in the NFC.

While the 49ers clearly have plenty of talent on their roster, there are some areas in which they've struggled throughout the year. One of the most glaring issues has been the team's lack of a consistent pass rush, and ESPN's Aaron Schatz recently picked that as the team's "most-concerning weakness" before the playoffs.

Advertisement

"The 49ers have been hit by a ton of injuries. Most of the affected offensive players have returned to the lineup, unlike the defense," Schatz wrote. "Among the players out for the season are edge rushers Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, who both sustained torn ACLs. As a result, the 49ers have had almost no pass rush this season. They rank 29th in pass rush win rate (30%) and last in pressure rate (25%). As a result, the Niners are 25th in pass defense DVOA when they do not blitz. (They're 17th when they do blitz.)

"Playing defense without much pass pressure puts more demand on quarterback Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense to excel. So far, they've been able to do that."

Without Bosa and Williams, the 49ers have been looking for someone to step up. They acquired Bryce Huff in a trade before the season, and while he's tied for the team-lead in sacks (4.0), he hasn't taken a quarterback down since Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Clelin Ferrell, who San Francisco signed midseason, has been the most-productive pass rusher recently, also recording sacks on the season, but doing so in just seven games for the 49ers.

Advertisement

The 49ers traded for Keion White at the deadline, and while he's had 1.5 sacks in eight games since the trade, he's starting to put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

If San Francisco wants to go as far as they can in the postseason, they'll need those three, along with Sam Okuayinonu and Yetur Gross-Matos, to step it up on the edge.

More 49ers: Where does Kyle Shanahan rank in Coach of the Year odds in Week 18?

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: ESPN breaks down 49ers' 'concerning weakness' for the playoffs