In a loss to the Carolina Panthers, it was Fozzy Whittaker. A week later, it was the Seahawks’ Christine Michael. In Week 4 it was Cowboys’ rookie Ezekiel Elliott. And in the Thursday night game vs. the Cardinals last week, it was David Johnson.
For four straight weeks, the 49ers defense has allowed an opposing running back to run for 100 or more yards.
In Thursday’s loss to Arizona that dropped the 49ers to 1-4, Johnson sliced through San Francisco defenders for 157 yards.
Now, as the 49ers begin preparations for this Sunday’s game in Buffalo against the Bills (kickoff is set for 10 a.m. in the Bay Area), the Niners know they must plug the gaping holes in their run defense if they want to stay in games and give themselves a chance to win.
The 49ers rank 31st in the NFL in rush defense, allowing an average of 146.8 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. They’ve also allowed five rushing TDs.
Niners head coach Chip Kelly, speaking after the loss Thursday night, acknowledged that fixing the poor run defense is a high priority.
“We’re not happy, I can tell you that,” Kelly told reporters, when asked about his team’s defense against ballcarriers. “I thought we played well in our first game and really it starts with our run defense. We need to shore that up. That’s what starts everything in this league.
Sports
“If you can run the football, then things become a little more easier. Now you can get into play-action passes, now you can get into the throwing game. We haven’t done a good job in the last four games of stopping the run and that’s the biggest problem we’re having.”
The Bills will present a particularly high hurdle. They rank No. 3 in the NFL in rushing at 137.2 yards per game. LeSean McCoy (5.3 yards per carry) and quarterback Tyrod Taylor (6.5 yards per rush) are quick and elusive.
McCoy is coming off a big game against the Rams Sunday, rushing for 150 yards, including one burst for 53 yards.
