Enter the Film Room: Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers

Broncos Pass Protection vs 49ers pass rush

The 49ers have been known for a deadly pass rush, but they are without their power combo of Aldon Smith and Justin Smith. That doesn’t mean they haven’t found other players to take the reins and cause pressure. With any team, keeping the QB’s jersey clean is a key to succeeding in today’s NFL. That is especially the case with the Denver Broncos.

The first step for the Broncos to keep their QBs clean and upright, well it is rather obvious, watch for the blitz. The 49ers get creative when blitzing and do a great job of keeping it hidden. One blitzer in particular needs to be watched for. He is a safety and gets down to the line quickly and can power past a blocker. The Broncos running backs will need to be outstanding in their blitz pickup. It will go a long way to help.

The last step they can do is, watch out for Tank Carradine and Corey Lemonier. They have picked up the gauntlet and did really well rushing against the Ravens OL. Carradine does an excellent job of converting speed to power to knock OL off guard. He also has the burst from the first to speed past the OL in a blur. When faced with a double team, that is when Carradine struggled. He didn’t look to have the strength to split the blockers.

With Lemonier, he uses his speed. That is about the only aspect he has to game. When he tries to use his strength, he tends to end up on his back. Still, his speed rush is quick. He is able to get to the corner and dip under the OL to turn the corner in just a matter of moments. He often lined up facing off against the RT, so Chris Clark will have to step up his performance. Clark tends to struggle against speed rushers.