49ers’ biggest defensive challenge vs. Eagles? Keeping Jalen Hurts from running amok
The 49ers have dominated defensively this season, but the running ability of Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts presents a new and difficult challenge.
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers need only turn the clock back 10 years to see what kind of potential nightmare Jalen Hurts represents Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.
That was the night their own Colin Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards on 16 carries in a 45-31 win over the Green Bay Packers in a wild card game at Candlestick Park.
The Packers never knew what hit them as Kaepernick found small creases and gigantic holes enroute to a record-setting rushing performance that is still a playoff record for a quarterback.
The 49ers, 15-4, face a challenge similar to the one Green Bay faced that night, when dealing with Hurts, a finalist for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award in large part because his running ability adds a dimension the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense has yet to see this season.
In Week 17, the 49ers found themselves flummoxed by the Raiders’ Jarrett Stidham, a game they won 37-34 in overtime. Stidham had 34 yards on seven carries and had the 49ers defense on their heels in a way that happened infrequently in 2022.
“I think we got tested in that Raiders game kind of unexpectedly and it reminded us of what the Kryptonite could be of the way we play,” defensive end Nick Bosa said.
Although Hurts missed two games with an injured right shoulder, he carried 165 times for 760 yards and had 13 rushing touchdowns. The carries were the most among all NFL quarterbacks and the yardage figure was fourth. That came after a 784-yard season with 10 touchdowns a year ago.
The shoulder didn’t appear to be a problem in the Eagles’ 38-7 divisional win over the New York Giants, as Hurts carried nine times for 34 yards.
The Eagles can put Hurts on the run in three different ways — a read option where the quarterback reads the defensive end then either hands the ball off or keeps it; a called run such as a sweep or quarterback draw; or a scramble after not finding an open receiver on the first or second read.
Quarterbacks against the 49ers this season gained only 283 yards on 62 attempts in the regular season and had 50 yards on eight rushes in two playoff games. Only one quarterback all season — Justin Fields of Chicago with 11 carries for 28 yards in a rain-soaked opener — ran the ball more than 10 times.
The most yards gained by a quarterback against the 49ers this season was 50 yards on six carries by Marcus Mariota in a game where the 49ers were missing defensive tackle Arik Armstead, Bosa and nickel back Jimmie Ward due to injury.
Opposing quarterbacks had just two rushing touchdowns against the 49ers all season, a 3-yard run by Mariota and a 1-yard sneak by the Rams’ Matthew Stafford.
Hurts has carried 17 times in a game three times, including a high-water mark of 157 yards in a win over Green Bay on Nov. 27. The last time Hurts faced the 49ers was Week 2 of the 2021 season. He rushed for 82 yards on 10 carries but the 49ers won 17-11.
Linebacker Fred Warner sees a much more experienced quarterback this time around.
“He has command of the offense, knowing where to go with the ball, being more decisive,” Warner said. “He’s using his legs to create plays and launching the ball downfield to guys who can make plays. I think that’s what’s elevated him to an All-Pro quarterback.”
Jalen Hurts is the best running back on the Eagles roster.
And no, this isn’t a criticism of his passing ability. Don’t even go there. pic.twitter.com/fzO4NyFafP
— Shane Haff (@HAFFnHAFF_TPL) November 28, 2022
For the 49ers, defending a running quarterback was more of a nuisance than a serious concern. That changes Sunday, and defenders will need to be aggressive enough to get after Hurts but not so aggressive they invite penalty flags.
Defending against a running quarterback has gotten more problematic every year with rules implemented to protect the highest-paid players from harm. Ronnie Lott, the 49ers Hall of Fame defensive back, urged his team on KNBR to take no prisoners when Hurts is on the run.
“As long as he’s a run threat, you’re going to attack him like he’s a running back,” Lott said. “They’re not going to attack him like he’s a quarterback, they’re going to attack him like he’s a running back.”
The problem is that if Hurts slides into an open area or is near the sideline, over-zealous defenders hoping to make him pay can wind up being flagged for unnecessary roughness or roughing the passer.
“It’s a huge challenge for these guys,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. “We’re expecting this quarterback to run it. We’re expecting him to lower his shoulders. We’ve always got to come out and treat him as a running back until he gives himself up sliding. And when he does, we’ve got to be good enough athletes to deal with it.”
Armstead went so far as to pull up on a potential safety against Prescott and said afterward he was concerned about getting a penalty. He doesn’t expect to make the same mistake again but acknowledged the dilemma facing defenders.
“You can treat him like a running back and try and get him down, but he may slide and you’ve got to be careful of that too,” Armstead said. ‘It’s just being smart in those situations. It’s tough but you do it to the best of your ability.”
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw was flagged for unnecessary roughness against Chicago’s Justin Fields in Week 1 and then ejected for a helmet-high hit on Justin Herbert of the Chargers in Week 9. Greenlaw said Hurts may slide one time and then look to make a one-on-one move the next, with the defender needing to make a split-second decision on whether to deliver a blow.
“When quarterbacks run the ball they’re a running back and they can get hit, but they’re kind of in between so you’ve got to feel it out,” Greenlaw said. “With his shoulder, you don’t know how much he’s going to run, but you’ve got to be aware of where you are on the field, who you’re trying to tackle and how you’re tackling him. There’s never a perfect way to go about it.”
On option plays, defenders who don’t properly play their assignment can be out of position, with Hurts getting loose as a result.
“With a read option any time you’re facing a quarterback who runs it you’ve got to be on your assignments for a full 60 minutes which is easier said than done,” Warner said. “There’s times you’re in a game for a long drive, and you might forget where to fit on a certain play. It’s all about being detailed and everyone swarming to the ball when he does pull it (and run).”