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49ers’ D-line resurgence fueled by strength-in-numbers approach originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers’ defensive line’s belief in each other never wavered despite the loss of a Pro-Bowl caliber teammate and a brutal early-season losing streak.
On the heels of consecutive defeats, the group that long has been viewed as the engine of San Francisco’s fearsome defense relied on a handful of new faces to spark its return to dominance.
Veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins — one of four 49ers players to combine for six sacks on Sunday — lauded the defensive line’s response to adversity while powering San Francisco’s 30-13 win over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.
“It was a great job, just raising the sense of urgency of what it’s going to take to win,” Collins told NBC Sports Bay Area. “We were … I wouldn’t say unproductive, but we didn’t win the last two weeks, so we just knew we had to get it done. It was collectively, as a team for sure.”
Collectively was the theme in Sundays win, as the 49ers had seven different defensive linemen record at least 10 pass-rushing snaps against the Patriots — and each one of them recorded multiple quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
Defensive tackle Kevin Givens — who has been with San Francisco since 2019 — helped fill the massive void of Javon Hargrave’s absence, leading the way with 2.5 sacks, four pressures, three quarterback hits and one tackle for loss against New England.
It was Givens’ 61st career NFL regular-season game, but the first time he’d ever recorded multiple sacks in the same contest.
While Givens’ breakout game came as a surprise to some, nobody on the 49ers’ defensive line was stunned by the six-year veteran’s standout performance.
“Kev always do that, man. Kev is a baller, Kev has been a baller in this league for a long time,” Collins said. “He’s always there when his number is called. Somebody that is going to run through a wall every time, and he was…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-d-line-resurgence-fueled-193731417.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-10-01 19:37:31
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