The San Francisco 49ers are 10-4 and barreling toward the playoffs, but don’t let that record fool you into thinking this team is flawless. Despite their success, there are a couple of cracks in the armor that could become real problems come January - and one of them is glaring.
Let’s start with the run game. It’s been underwhelming.
The Niners are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, which ranks near the bottom of the league. For a team that’s traditionally leaned on its ground game to control tempo and set up the play-action pass, that’s a concern.
But it’s not the biggest one.
The real issue - the one that could derail a deep playoff push - is the pass rush. Or more accurately, the lack of one.
San Francisco has just 16 sacks on the season, dead last in the NFL. That’s not just bad - it’s historically bad.
Their sack total is 38 percent lower than the next-worst team, and they’ve had 10 games this year with one or fewer sacks. That ties them for the league lead in that not-so-prestigious category.
They’re on pace to become just the 22nd team in league history to finish a 16+ game season with 20 or fewer sacks. That’s not the kind of stat you want hanging over your playoff hopes.
Injuries have played a role. Nick Bosa, the team’s top pass rusher, is out.
His backup, Yetur Gross-Matos, also landed on injured reserve. That’s left the 49ers scrambling to generate pressure with a patchwork group of edge defenders.
Bryce Huff and Clelin Ferrell are doing what they can - they’re tied for the team lead with four sacks apiece - but it’s clear this group needs reinforcements. And now, with the Miami Dolphins officially out of the playoff picture, a potential solution might be hitting the waiver wire.
Veteran edge rusher Matthew Judon is now available after parting ways with Miami. The Dolphins, sitting at 6-8 after a Week 15 loss, are shifting into offseason mode, and Judon became one of the first dominoes to fall. The 33-year-old is hitting waivers, and while he hasn’t been the same player this season, he brings something the 49ers desperately lack: experience and pass-rushing pedigree.
Judon hasn’t recorded a sack this year and has logged just seven pressures while playing around 40 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps. It’s a far cry from his dominant start to the 2023 season, when he looked like one of the league’s top edge rushers before a torn bicep cut his year short.
That said, he’s still a four-time Pro Bowler with a decade of NFL experience. If the 49ers are looking for a low-cost, high-upside addition to their rotation, Judon checks the box. He wouldn’t need to be a 60-snap-per-game player - just someone who can give them 15-20 quality reps and maybe make a play or two when it matters most.
Because here’s the bottom line: if the 49ers want to make a serious Super Bowl run, they’re going to need more juice off the edge. Four of the last five Super Bowl champions ranked top five in sacks during the regular season. San Francisco won’t get there, but that doesn’t mean they can’t bolster their front in the final stretch.
The offense is humming. The defense has playmakers. But without a reliable pass rush, everything becomes harder - especially in the postseason, when quarterbacks get better and margins get thinner.
Judon might not be the player he once was, but in a locker room that’s chasing a Lombardi Trophy, even a few veteran flashes could make all the difference.