The San Francisco 49ers pass rush showed up in a big way in their preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. The team had four sacks, eight QB hits, and numerous pressures as Robert Saleh brought some creative aggression to the pass rush.
It is no surprise then that pass rushers led the team in Week 3 Pro Football Focus grading. PFF posted their top five grades for each team, and four of the top five players were edge rushers. They included Aaron Lynch, Elvis Dumervil, Arik Armstead, and Pita Taumoepenu. It is no surprise that Raheem Mostert was the lone non-pass rusher in the group.
Lynch played the bulk of his 35 snaps in the second half, but he made sure to produce when he was in the game. He had eight pressures and a hit on the QB. He remains behind Elvis Dumervil and Arik Armstead in pass rush situations, and will likely see extensive playing time this Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dumervil showed up in a big way this week. He played 14 snaps after a total of ten through the first two games. He rushed the passer on 13 of them, according to PFF, and had a sack a four pressures.
The 49ers have had some questions about their edge, but for one night, we saw them produce in a big way. They face some questions with what they’ll do with Aaron Lynch. They plan on extensive rotation along the line, which would help him. At the same time, the extensive second half playing time could be an attempt to gin up some trade value before roster cuts.