49ERS’ DEFENSIVE LINE WELL STOCKED DESPITE INJURIES
Ford's hamstring injury will keep him on the sideline Sunday against the Ravens
SANTA CLARA >> Chasing and pressuring quarterbacks has been the 49ers’ forte this season, and aside from victorious benefits, it’s also come at an expense, especially the past three games.
Ronald Blair’s knee gave out pursuing Russell Wilson. Dee Ford’s hamstring got hurt sacking Kyler Murray. Damontre Moore, Blair’s replacement, broke a forearm tackling Aaron Rodgers.
As a result, the 49ers’ mustsee defensive line is not at full strength entering Sunday’s game against MVP-candidate Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. But if any position group could afford this weekly wave of attrition, it’s the 49ers defensive front, which will be without Ford for a second straight game.
When the 49ers opened the season with 10 defensive linemen, they were channeling Bill Walsh’s principal to stock up on pass rushers and rotate them to stay fresh.
“That was definitely our thought. We wanted a bunch of them,” general manager John Lynch said this week. “We added
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Dee and Nick (Bosa) with the guys we already had here . ... We certainly wanted to build that and make that a tough unit to deal with.”
Added coach Kyle Shanahan: “We had a lot of depth going in there and we also have guys who are pretty versatile with how they can play inside and outside in a pinch.”
Even without Ford, Shanahan feels good about the depth, and the 49ers certainly had enough firepower to pester Rodgers in last Sunday’s 37-8 rout. Now, Bosa, Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, D.J. Jones and others will attack a Ravens line that is equally imposing, although rookie Patrick Mekari (Cal) will be making his first start at center in place of the injured Matt Skura.
Ford’s 6½ sacks rank third on the 49ers, behind Armstead (10) and Bosa (eight). Buckner has 5½ sacks. All are former first-round draft picks, as is Solomon Thomas, who has two sacks this year but none last Sunday and not even one tackle despite a season-high workload (42 snaps).
“They’ve really invested quite a bit in that area and it shows on tape,” said Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who held the same role with the 49ers from 2011-14.
“Nick Bosa has made a huge impact, and when you watch the tape, he is extremely disruptive,”
Roma added in his Friday press conference. “Their defensive line is taught in a style that is very aggressive and he certainly fits that bill . ... The guy has a motor that goes and goes. He’s a buzzsaw.”
Jeremiah Valoaga, the 49ers’ exhibition-season sack leader with 4½, was promoted from the practice squad Wednesday to replace Moore. If the 49ers
lose a defensive tackle, Kentavius Street likely would be activated off injured reserve, where he’s been stashed since Week 1.
“I give coach Shanahan a ton of credit. He’s built a really good football team, him and John Lynch,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “They have obviously a great front, but the whole defense plays so hard.”
Ford hasn’t practiced the past two weeks. He came out for individual conditioning just as Friday’s practice began. PETTIS UPDATE >> Wide receiver Dante Pettis’ knee sprain, which occurred in Wednesday’s practice, will
keep him out against the Ravens but it is not a longterm issue. Pettis said he did not fear a torn anterior cruciate ligament because it was a similar pain from a previous knee injury.
With Pettis inactive, Marquise Goodwin might suit up after being a healthy scratch two of the past four games. Then again, with rain in the forecast, the 49ers likely will go with a run-oriented approach, and that could mean all four running backs dress, including Matt Breida, who had the past two games off with an ankle injury. STATUS REPORTS >> Left tackle Joe Staley (finger) and Breida are the only ones questionable. Full go are tight end George Kittle (knee, ankle), kicker
Robbie Gould (quadriceps) and wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders (ribs) and Deebo Samuel (shoulder). Staley has missed the past two games since undergoing surgery to repair a fractured finger that he played with against Seattle on Nov. 11.
GOULD RETURNS? >> Gould (quadriceps) is on track to suit up after a three-game absence, and he shrugged off the anticipated rain as “another day in paradise.” Gould had a threeweek stint on the 2005 Ravens practice squad before truly launching his career with the Chicago Bears. Still on the 49ers’ roster is Chase McLaughlin, whose only miss in eight field-goal attempts was the overtime gaffe against Seattle.
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