DeMeco Ryans & 49ers’ defense are confident they can contain Jalen Hurts

The 49ers’ defense under DeMeco Ryans has been lights out for the last half of the 2022 season, holding teams scoreless in 21 of 48 total quarters played during the team’s 12-game winning streak. They showcased that dominance in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys, holding them to only 12 points.

Despite the unit’s big play over the past three months, the 49ers have a slight crack in their armor: The run game.

Specifically, the mobility of the opposing quarterback.

San Francisco has struggled to contain QBs who utilize their legs as much as their arms this season. Since Week 1, the 49ers have faced four teams with predominantly mobile quarterbacks. While the average of those contests equaled 36 1/2 rushing yards by the signal-caller, the mobility has allowed the 49ers to get out of position and give up big plays.

San Francisco will now face the biggest test this season in QB Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles.

An MVP candidate, Hurts has been effective in all facets of the game this season, rushing for 50.7 YPG during the regular season. That may not seem like a lot at first glance, but for a quarterback, that’s more than some will have in an entire calendar year.

Stopping the run has been priority No. 1 for San Francisco in recent weeks, and they’ll have to be on it in Philly to stop Hurts and the read option.

“It’s a huge threat,” linebacker Dre Greenlaw said Thursday. “Just a guy that’s able to throw the ball and make every throw on the field, and then he’s also able to just run the ball. You just got to be on your P’s and Q’s as a defense and just be on the same page at all times.”

#49ers Dre Greenlaw says of Eagles
"They’re just as physical a team as we are. Great O-line. Even their D is pretty physical. Offensively … everybody has a tenacity to them. They like to fight for each other. Same thing for us as a defense. It’s going to be a great match." pic.twitter.com/QZQDEtSbhI

— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 26, 2023

A third-year player, Hurts has ascended each year in the league. The Eagles have integrated a scheme that maximizes their QB’s skillset over the last three years. That’s one of the reasons he’s played at an MVP level in 2022, according to DeMeco Ryans. But like every opponent, it’s about being aware at all times and staying on your assignment.

“When it comes to him scrambling around, that’s all 11 [players],” Ryans said Thursday. “It starts with our D-line being where they’re supposed to be. And guys who are responsible to go get the quarterback, we just have to do our job. We can’t make a bigger deal out of it than it is. Everybody has to do their job, be where they’re supposed to be and we play defense as all 11, group swarming. That’s what’s going to help us in defending the quarterback run.

Ryans is also wary of the Eagles’ offensive line, calling it the strength of their team Thursday. Going hand-in-hand with the run game, Ryans has to make sure his players keep focus at all times. Mistakes happen, it’s part of life, but it’s important to have a short-term memory on the field.

“We’ll have to have that same focus, that same relentless mindset to be where we’re supposed to be as we’re rushing the quarterback. And having awareness that Jalen could get out, and he may get out, but nobody’s going to panic if he does get out one time,” DeMeco Ryans explained.

Because after all, football is fun, right?

Ryans wants to make sure his players remember that on the field, allowing themselves to not put too much pressure if they make a mistake and bounce back with focus and energy.

“I’m excited to see guys make plays, football is meant to be fun. That’s what football is about. So you got to have fun playing football and that’s what our guys do,” DeMeco Ryans stated.

A top candidate for various head-coaching jobs around the league, the future may be elsewhere for the second-year defensive coordinator, but right now, his focus is on beating his former team for another trip to the Super Bowl.

“He’s going to be a great head coach,” defensive end Nick Bosa said Wednesday. “As a leader of men, he’s as good as it gets.”

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