This season, the San Francisco 49ers boast the fourth-best run defence in all of football. Outside of All-Pro linebackers in the back end, a major factor in their success has been the development of eight-year NFL veteran Arik Armstead’s ability. Fortunately for the Baltimore Ravens, Armstead will miss Monday’s big game due to a chronic hamstring issue.
Just how important is Armstead to San Francisco’s run defense, though? Is his absence so significant that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens can exploit an otherwise elite unit? The answer, as it always is when dissecting the 49ers, is a complex one. Looking at the numbers, Armstead’s absence is a massive loss that the Ravens can use to their advantage. While his run defense grade via Pro Football Focus is an average of 59.8, it’s higher than any other interior lineman this year on the team. Here’s a list of the four defensive tackles for the 49ers and their run grade:
Not all defensive ends are doing well against the run, such as Chase Young (60.0) and Randy Gregory (53.7). The only player with a “elite” run defence grade of 84 is Nick Bosa on the edge. On Monday night, the Ravens, who boast the second-best rushing offence in the NFL, ought to have no trouble getting the ball downfield. Baltimore is the league leader in yards per carry and runs for first downs. Even with Baltimore’s potent running game, the 49ers are a formidable opponent for quarterbacks who run. With an average of 3.8 yards per carry, San Francisco has allowed quarterbacks to gain only 232 rushing yards. In terms of permitted yards per carry, they rank 19th.
