Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud posted two of his best Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades of the season in Weeks 5 and 8 (78.9 and 79.8)—in games where he faced the least pressure. The Baltimore Ravens managed just six pressures in Week 5, while the San Francisco 49ers recorded 10 in Sunday's matchup at NRG Stadium.
Despite those pressures, the 49ers failed to bring Stroud down—marking the only game this season in which the Texans quarterback wasn't sacked. Stroud capitalized on that clean pocket, throwing for a season-high 318 yards while completing 76.9% of his passes and tossing two touchdowns in Houston's 26-15 win.
And he did so without wideouts Nico Collins and Christian Kirk.
The 49ers' defensive front continues to struggle to generate consistent pressure. San Francisco has just nine sacks through eight games. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars have fewer (eight). According to Pro Football Reference, the 49ers' defense ranks last in the NFL with just 31 total pressures and a 10.5% pressure rate. Their 66.0 team pass-rush grade from PFF ranks 22nd in the league.
Following Sunday's loss, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team's urgency to pursue a trade hasn't changed.
"Nothing changes anything," Shanahan said. "It has to do with what's available out there, and does it help us this year, does it help us next year. Usually, as things get closer, you get a little more idea on who's real and who's not, and we'll evaluate that for the short term and long term."
Sunday was the 49ers defense's second sackless game this season. Losing Nick Bosa to a season-ending ACL injury has left a massive void up front. After that, Bryce Huff was San Francisco's most effective pass rusher, earning an 85.9 PFF pass-rush grade. Huff missed Sunday's game and is expected to be sidelined for at least one more week.
Against Houston, only four 49ers defensive linemen registered pressures, with rookie Mykel Williams being the only one to record multiple (two). Injuries to Sam Okuayinonu and Jordan Elliott, both of whom left the game with ankle issues, further depleted the unit's depth.
The 49ers' biggest weakness is now impossible to ignore—they must find a way to generate more pressure or risk opposing quarterbacks replicating Stroud's success down the stretch.
However, general manager John Lynch echoed Shanahan's cautious stance, saying the team will stay patient during Huff's absence but remain open to potential moves ahead of the trade deadline.
"We'll hold down the fort until then," Lynch said during a radio interview. "And with respect, I've spoken at great length on the other stuff. If it can help our team, we won't hesitate to do it, but nothing has presented itself that has aligned completely, to this point."
Even when Huff returns, the 49ers will likely still find themselves struggling to reach the quarterback. That's why all eyes are on San Francisco as the November 4 NFL trade deadline quickly approaches.