SANTA CLARA — Azeez Al-Shaair knew it was a second of reality. The 49ers’ linebacker had talked about it throughout the week together with his teammates, plotting a technique that wouldn’t have been conceivable for his defensive predecessors again within the day.
As Al-Shaair closed in to make the cease on a scrambling Justin Fields on third-and-1, a part of him knew Fields might hit the bottom in a slide. It will then be incumbent upon Al-Shaair to drag off and faucet the quarterback down together with his hand. Besides Fields slid late, Al-Shaair had intuition take over and it was 15-yard penalty. First down Bears.
Three performs later, Fields hit Equanimeous St. Brown for a 19-yard landing and the Bears had a 19-10 lead that might maintain up in a Week 1 upset.
Fields had already lured in Dre Greenlaw on an analogous play on the sideline, giving the Bears 15 yards whereas in their very own territory and a primary down, although the drive ended with a punt.
Subsequent up is Seattle’s Geno Smith within the 49ers’ dwelling opener Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers’ defenders are learning up on how to ensure they don’t give the Seahawks additional yards each time Smith ventures from the pocket.
The 49ers are hoping the roughness fouls aren’t this season’s repeat offense. Final season, it was defensive cross interference, one thing the 49ers didn’t get a maintain on till midseason approached. However they’ll be examined in every of the subsequent two weeks, as Smith and Denver’s Russell Wilson have been identified to stray from the pocket and grow to be a transferring goal.
Smith ran six occasions for 14 yards in a 17-16 win over the Broncos Monday evening. Smith is 32, however stays cell and isn’t too far faraway from the quarterback who ran for 366 yards as a rookie for the New York Jets in 2013 throughout the one season when he began 16 video games in his profession.
“You sort of must know who you’re enjoying,” Greenlaw mentioned. “We all know if we’re enjoying a man like Josh Allen he ain’t going to slip. Geno Smith, however, he may slide, he may not. Undoubtedly getting in there with the concept that you’ve nonetheless acquired to hit him, however after what occurred final week, we positively must be extra cautious.”
The 49ers’ penalties — Greenlaw additionally had a pricey facemask — gave life to a Bears offense that totaled solely 204 yards, with defensive finish Nick Bosa lamenting 15 free yards to a crew that “can’t transfer the ball.”
Coach Kyle Shanahan realizes defensive gamers are put in an virtually not possible place, however the split-second choices are one thing they must cope with as a part of the job.
“We knew the way it was going to be,” Shanahan mentioned. “Once you dive at a sliding quarterback, you could have get them down, however after they slide, you must keep away from them. You'll be able to’t land on prime of them. That’s one thing we talked about quite a bit and it's a very robust factor to do for these guys. However that’s a part of this sport, and you may’t have any excuses with it.”
On Greenlaw’s pointless roughness penalty, the flag regarded apparent in actual time. It regarded totally different in gradual movement, the place Greenlaw appeared to drag up and never land with full pressure upon Fields. Regardless of. The flag flew anyway.
“I attempted. I actually did,” Greenlaw mentioned. “They don’t see it. You’ve simply acquired to take it, be taught your lesson and when the quarterback has the ball, tone the aggression down just a bit bit extra. A lesson discovered.”
Firming down the aggression, nonetheless, is counter to the character of defensive gamers usually and linebackers specifically.
“You’re enjoying so laborious to make each play after which abruptly you’re in a sport the place it’s like a hurricane, you’re making an attempt to push him out of bounds, and he slides,” Greenlaw mentioned. “They need you to leap over him on the final second, and it’s rattling close to not possible. He did an excellent job sliding on the proper time.”
Defensive deal with Arik Armstead, like Greenlaw, introduced up Buffalo’s Allen an instance of a take-on-all-comers quarterback.
“He’s going to attempt to embarass you and for those who come up anticipating him to slip, he’ll stiff-arm you, run you over,” Armstead mentioned. “You’ve acquired guys like Lamar (Jackson) who will make you miss. And guys who're actually athletic, will take what they will and get down. It’s extra of a problem annually because the quarterback place will get extra athletic.”
Al-Shaair, with a sigh, realizes the quarterback will all the time get the advantage of the doubt.
“There are guidelines that I don’t make I want I might change,” Al-Shaair mentioned. “It’s positively irritating for defensive gamers. However that’s what the league needs. The quarterback is the man they’re making an attempt to guard. You attempt to decide and stay with it. However you positively don’t need to get the penalty.”