The San Francisco 49ers knew they would be without several key offensive players in their Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium. Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve, Deebo Samuel is expected to miss a few weeks, and George Kittle sat out Week 3 with hamstring tightness.
However, the 49ers’ defense is now facing a major blow as well. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is headed to injured reserve after suffering a triceps injury in last week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Hargrave, a key anchor on the defensive front, was San Francisco’s top-graded defensive tackle in passing situations, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). His absence leaves a significant 305-pound gap on the defensive line.
The Patriots, whose offensive line has struggled in pass protection this season, could benefit from Hargrave’s absence.
Hargrave was ranked as the 15th-best defensive tackle in pass-rush situations and played over 60% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps. In his place, veteran defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott will need to step up. While both have shown potential, Elliott has been particularly effective against the run, ranking 13th among defensive tackles in that category but less impactful in pass-rushing (ranked 131st by PFF).
Though Elliott doesn’t pose the same threat as Hargrave, the 49ers still have star edge rusher Nick Bosa, who has registered 12 pressures over three games. Without Hargrave in the middle, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt may need to adjust blocking schemes to prevent Bosa from disrupting the backfield and targeting quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
It remains to be seen if the Patriots will employ heavier personnel, as they did in their Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, or focus on running the ball to neutralize Bosa’s pass-rushing impact.
