The 49ers suffered a setback on Sunday due to their defensive tackle injuries.
The San Francisco 49ers won their 11th game of the season, tying an NFL record, on the road Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, 45-29.
The defense faltered, surrendering 29 points, the most Arizona has scored this season and the most San Francisco has allowed during their current six-game winning streak, while the offense roared to a 45-point lead.
How did Sunday’s defense struggle?
With both Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave sidelined and Kalia Davis sidelined due to a high ankle sprain, the 49ers were extremely thin along the defensive line. Head coach Kyle Shanahan identified fatigue and tackling as the primary problems.
Regarding Armstead and Hargrave’s injuries, Shanahan remarked, “I definitely think it hurt. I believe that every factor played a part. First, letting those guys go. Secondly, the quantity of plays they had, particularly in the first half. Kalia’s loss during the game was a major factor in the guys’ weariness at the conclusion. especially those final few drives, especially when they continued to play on a few third downs.”
What strategy do the 49ers have in place to address their depth issues, given that Davis’s injury will probably keep him out for several weeks?
Examining the free agent market, where players like Ndamukong Suh are still available, is one possible recommendation. Recall that before Suh joined the Eagles last season, there were rumors that he was considering the 49ers.
Shanahan stated that the 49ers haven’t spoken to Suh yet, but the team will definitely look into all options.
Shanahan declined to contact Suh at this time. “I’m not discounting anything. As you can see, we used some of the guys from our practice squad last week. However, we also don’t know for sure when Armstead and Hargrave will return. We are aware of their opportunities this week.”
“So, there’s a lot of variables that are playing together that we’ll be discussing here the rest of the day, tomorrow. Even if we don’t make a move in any area, that’ll probably be continuing throughout the year.”
The 49ers may need to address the defensive line depth as soon as this weekend because it’s uncertain if Hargrave and Armstead will be able to play against the Baltimore Ravens. In this scenario, the team may have to rely on players from their practice squad to fill the void.
However, defensive tackle T.Y. McGill, who missed three tackles in 29 snaps, was called up by the 49ers last weekend.
The 49ers will probably have to rely on Kevin Givens and Javon Kinlaw once more if Armstead and Hargrave are sidelined this coming weekend.
To strengthen their defensive line group, the 49ers may need to reach into the free agent pool, though, as the depth at the position needs to be assessed.