49ers veteran proving to be a bright spot heading into crucial primetime reunion with former team
Positives have been thin on the ground for the San Francisco 49ers in recent weeks as injuries have piled up and they have slumped to successive defeats to the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. The blowout loss to the Packers was especially dispiriting, San Francisco beaten 38-10 at Lambeau Field in a game in […]
Positives have been thin on the ground for the San Francisco 49ers in recent weeks as injuries have piled up and they have slumped to successive defeats to the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
The blowout loss to the Packers was especially dispiriting, San Francisco beaten 38-10 at Lambeau Field in a game in which they were shorn of the services of quarterback Brock Purdy, All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams and star pass rusher Nick Bosa.
San Francisco's self-inflicted wounds, which have been prevalent throughout a disappointing campaign, were more magnified in a contest that saw them waste four opportunities to pull within a touchdown of the Packers.
The Packers ruthlessly punished the 49ers' mistakes, but there were some bright spots for San Francisco, with veteran pass rusher Leonard Floyd among the standouts on the defensive side of the ball.
Floyd recorded two sacks against the Packers and, per Pro Football Focus, registered five pressures. Both of his sacks came on very similar plays, with Floyd able to work his way inside with lateral quickness and high effort thanks in part to the penetration of the defenders lined up alongside him on looks where the 49ers had three to his side.
Though he did occasionally demonstrate an impressive bull rush, Floyd's performance was not one in which he dominated an extremely good Packers offensive line, but his ability to find his way to the quarterback without the advantage of having Bosa lined up across from him was extremely encouraging.
Floyd now has 6.5 sacks for the season, with 3.5 coming in his last two games, and his production is no fluke.
Per Sports Info Solutions, Floyd's pressure rate of 14.9 percent ranks 15th among the 61 defenders with at least 25 pressures this season.
He is quietly proving to be an astute free agent acquisition but, regardless of whether Bosa returns from hip/oblique injuries, the 49ers will need Floyd to have a loud impact when they face the substantial challenge of trying to slow down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in primetime on Sunday.
Buffalo's O-Line is ranked tied ninth by PFF pass block grade, eight spots lower than the league-leading Packers. Having spent his 2023 season with Buffalo, Floyd has no shortage of motivation to find the holes in a very solid group.
"Oh, yeah, most definitely circled this one because Buffalo was a different experience," Floyd told KNBR on Tuesday. "They got great fans, and they're going to be a hostile environment for us. And we gonna have to endure that, and play through that, and stay together, and hopefully, come out with a victory."
He added of the task of stopping Allen: "I ain't gonna lie, it's gonna be a tough week. Gotta have the right mindset with this one, just from being on the same team with him. He's a very competitive quarterback, and you gotta be at a high level. You gotta match his level.
"But yeah, it's gonna be a great matchup. And you know me, I'm going out, I'm giving it my all, all I got, and hopefully, I ring him and bring him down."
Floyd is rounding into form just in time for a primetime reunion is relishing. Given the 49ers' injuries and the caliber of opponent, few are expecting the 49ers to have reason to celebrate. However, Floyd's recent performances can at least give the defense some hope that they can prevent Allen from being quite so devastating.
Practice news around Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa and Trent Williams paints bleak Week 13 picture for 49ers
They face a nervous wait again.
