The 49ers head to Houston for a defensive showdown versus the Texans. DeMeco Ryans' defense faces off against his former team, and head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. So many familiar faces reunite in this matchup. If the 49ers look to keep their win streak alive and improve to 6-2, they must stick to the Keys to Victory.
Generate Pressure
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud struggled heavily against the pressure from the Seahawks' defense on Monday Night Football. The 49ers are coming off their best defensive game post-Nick Bosa. The team generated 22 pressures, including two sacks against the Falcons.
Expect defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be aggressive and dial up the blitz to help generate pressure. The 49ers will be without their sack leader, defensive end Bryce Huff, due to a hamstring injury. The 49ers' defense must be in the face of Stroud at all times. Expect Saleh to send the blitz and use disguised coverages against the Texans' offensive line.
Apply pressure, secure the victory.
Get Close to 40 Carries
Shanahan stated last week that his goal was to get 40 rushing attempts against the Falcons. The team rushed for 174 yards on 39 carries with eight explosive run plays of ten yards or more. Christian McCaffrey led all running backs with 129 yards on the ground, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt.
The Texans rank 10th against the run, allowing 95.2 yards per game. It won't be easy to run the ball against this defensive front, but if the 49ers want to secure the victory, they will have to get creative and rush inside and outside to be victorious.
Project the QB
The Texans have a pair of elite pass rushers in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. The 49ers must protect quarterback Mac Jones at all costs. Both Anderson and Hunter have four sacks on the season. 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster is going to have to get his young interior linemen ready for the Houston pass rush.
So far this season, the 49ers have allowed 11 sacks and 20 quarterback hits. If they provide adequate protection for their quarterback, they will be able to attempt explosive plays downfield. There will never be a clean pocket, but the offensive line must protect their quarterback to be victorious against the number one scoring defense in the NFL.
This game may just come down to each team's defense. It's going to take all 11 men swarming to the ball, and the mentality must be bend, don't break. If the 49ers apply these three keys, they will improve to 6-2 and remain among the top NFC contenders.