Williams’ troubles put block on 49ers
Pro Bowl left tackle hasn’t been dominant self in 2 straight losses
After Trent Williams’ block helped clear a cavernous hole for fullback Kyle Juszczyk on a touchdown run Sunday, the 49ers’ Pro Bowl left tackle raised both hands above his head to signal the score.
The gesture was not symbolic of his day.
Mixed in with the celebration were moments of apparent confusion and irritation in a 4317 loss to the Dolphins that featured a performance that fell below Williams’ lofty standards for the second straight week.
Of all the unforeseen issues that have befallen the 49ers during their 23 start, Williams experiencing onfield issues is perhaps the most unlikely.
The seventime Pro Bowler put on an offensive-tackle clinic in training camp, showing no signs of rust after not playing in 2019, and consistently containing wunderkind pass rusher
Nick Bosa. And the most indelible moment during the 49ers’ 21 start might have been authored by Williams: His fullheadofsteam pancake of Arizona linebacker Jordan Hicks in the season opener was the rare run block to go viral.
Last week, Williams, 32, pushed back on the idea he’d struggled in a 2520 loss to the Eagles, although head coach Kyle Shanahan said Williams was a “little off” and would get it “corrected.”
Williams wasn’t made available to speak with reporters via Zoom after Sunday’s loss to Miami, but it’s safe to assume he was included when Shanahan said the 49ers needed “their best players to play at their best.”
Tight end George Kittle, one of four offensive captains along
with Williams, right tackle Mike McGlinchey and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, said the captains had to “play together,” “play better” and “pick each other up better.”
On Sunday, Williams had a holding penalty, was beaten on blocks on unsuccessful runs on 3rdand1 and 4thand1 and was involved in communication issues that led to two of the five sacks the 49ers allowed.
Williams was part of a line that allowed eight quarterback hits, had another sack negated by a penalty and drew consistent critiques from Fox analyst Mark Schlereth, a twotime Pro Bowl guard who had a 12year career.
“They’ve got to settle down up front and start communicating,” Schlereth said after the 49ers allowed their second sack in the first quarter.
By the fourth quarter, Schlereth, noting Miami’s dominance in the trenches, jokingly wondered if the Dolphins had been allowed to have 14 defensive players on the field. Moments later, Williams was called for holding after he fell while pulling down speedrushing linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel.
“Again, just another physical and mental mistake by this 49ers offensive line,” Schlereth said.
Shanahan said the 49ers had “busts on protections” on three of the five sacks they allowed. And Williams appeared to be involved in two of those breakdowns.
In the first quarter, Williams shoved defensive tackle Zach Sieler and turned outside, evidently expecting left guard Laken Tomlinson to pick up Sieler. However, Sieler had a clear lane to Garoppolo and dropped him for a 7yard sack.
Williams responded by turning his palms upward, the universal expression for, “What happened?”
In the third quarter, the Dolphins overloaded the left side of the 49ers’ line with four linemen. Williams turned outside to block, Tomlinson turned inside and linebacker Jerome Baker wasn’t touched before dumping C. J. Beathard for a 9yard sack.
In response, Williams approached Tomlinson and appeared to have a few animated words.
Williams and Tomlinson were manhandled on one of the game’s biggest plays. Trailing 70 in the first quarter, the 49ers faced 4thand1 from Miami’s 44yard line. Running back Jerick McKinnon was stopped for no gain after defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah shoved Williams backward and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins beat Tomlinson before meeting at McKinnon.
In the fourth quarter, Williams whiffed on his block on Kyle Van Noy and was on the ground when the linebacker combined with Van Ginkel to drop running back Raheem Mostert for a 1yard loss on 3rdand1.
Of course, Williams wasn’t a 60minute disaster.
He was out front, running interference and flashing his speed, on Mostert’s 37yard, secondquarter sprint that was the 49ers’ longest play. And Williams had a few punishing run blocks, most notably drilling Baker to help clear a lane for a 9yard run by Jeff Wilson in the third quarter.
That was Williams at his best.
On a day that, by his standards, wasn’t nearly good enough.
Cornerback added: The 49ers claimed undrafted rookie cornerback Parnell Motley off waivers from the Buccaneers to bolster an injuryriddled position group. Motley ( 6foot, 180 pounds), who was not invited to the NFL combine, played 22 specialteams snaps in two games with Tampa Bay before he was waived. Last year, Motley was a firstteam AllBig 12 selection at Oklahoma after he had a teamhigh 13 pass breakups and tied for second nationally with five forced fumbles. He finished fifth in school history with 33 pass breakups.